Buying and Selling of Vote in Local Body Elections: A Case Study of Telangana

AuthorVanishree Joseph,Anjan K. Bhanja
DOIhttp://doi.org/10.1177/00195561221122842
Published date01 March 2023
Date01 March 2023
Subject MatterArticles
Buying and Selling of
Vote in Local Body
Elections: A Case Study
of Telangana
Vanishree Joseph1 and Anjan K. Bhanja1
Abstract
This research is an in-depth study on the influence of money in local body elec-
tions in India, particularly Gram Panchayat, which is the lowest tier of local gov-
ernance, and consequences thereof. The age of the voters, genders and their
education plays a significant factor in stigmatising the vote-buying behaviour.
Women, youths and educated have more stigma towards vote buying. Vote buy-
ing takes different forms in different places and is more intense in some places
than others. The degree to which democracy is afflicted by these ills, and the
particular kind of damage inflicted, thus vary. Vote-buying, should also be noted,
has consequences that extend beyond the political realm. Certain kinds of vote
buying affect the economy by driving up land prices and concentrating landown-
ership which may have long-term political implications. Most of the cases of the
incidence of money is found in the places where real estate business is booming
with huge population. The competition is more in the Panchayats where there is
more income and grants available in these bodies.
Keywords
Vote-buying, vote-selling, election, local governance
Introduction: Influence of Money in Local Body
Elections in India
All political systems have parts and elements and one such crucial element in demo-
cratic political systems is election. The success of democracy depends upon the
nature of elections (Pastor, 1998). But with the increasing role of money, free and
Article
Indian Journal of Public
Administration
69(1) 125–137, 2023
© 2022 IIPA
Reprints and permissions:
in.sagepub.com/journals-permissions-india
DOI: 10.1177/00195561221122842
journals.sagepub.com/home/ipa
1 Centre for Gender Studies and Development, National Institute of Rural Development and
Panchayati Raj, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
Corresponding author:
Vanishree Joseph, Centre for Gender Studies and Development, National Institute of Rural
Development and Panchayati Raj, Hyderabad 500030, Telangana, India.
E-mail: vanishreej.nird@gov.in

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