Election Campaign Practices and Political Economy Factors: A Study of Electoral Strategies in India

Professor Ward Berenschot is a leading researcher in Southeast Asian and Indian politics, focusing on governance, and electoral processes. Dr. Vignesh Rajahmani is a postdoctoral research fellow specializing in Indian and Indonesian politics at KITLV-Leiden. Dr. Sarthak Bagchi is a political scientist at Ahmedabad University, with expertise in political economy and social movements in India.

Objective of the Study: The primary aim of this research is to explore how elections are contested by various political parties, with a focus on the political economy factors influencing electoral strategies. The study will analyze campaign practices by collecting data on campaign expenditures, campaign funding, campaign spending, and campaign organization. The findings are expected to provide a comprehensive understanding of the electoral processes in India, highlighting how political campaigns are financed and organized.

States for Data Collection: This research will gather data from election campaign practices across 500 politicians in four states and 168 constituencies. The states selected for this study are:

1. Odisha
2. Andhra Pradesh
3. Haryana
4. Maharashtra

This research aims to provide valuable insights into the electoral landscape of India, assisting in the understanding of how campaigns are structured and financed across different states.