Identifying Trends in Local Indian Elections
Are there certain demographic characteristics associated with the likelihood that a candidate will contest or ultimately succeed in a local Indian election?
Abstract
Are certain people more likely than others to contest local Indian elections? How does India’s electoral reservation system impact who contests local Indian elections and who ultimately wins those elections? To answer these questions, the research team has launched an initiative to compile all existing data on the demographics of candidates who have contested local elections in addition to the results of those elections across every state in India. Research assistants at the lab are working on collecting and arranging publicly available data in both digital and hard copy format in order to transform the database into a public resource. We expect this effort to be completed by early 2025.