This book, the sixth in the series on India’s elections from SAGE, is arguably the first to critically analyze the 17th General Elections held in India in 2019. It closely analyzes how the elections were conducted and what factors influenced the electorate in returning Narendra Modi to power with a thumping majority. The book critically explores underlying factors such as the absolute dominance of extreme nationalism based on majoritarian religious identity as well as the increased participation of women and the marginalized sections of Indian society.

The initial chapters focus on national topics and are followed by fourteen analytical state and regional studies grouped into four regional clusters. A highlight of the book is its strong focus on contentious issues such as the structure, stability and integrity of electoral institutions as well as caste, tribal, minority and ethnic politics.