The papers in this volume, presented at an international seminar, held at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, attempt to analyse various issues concerning India''s electoral system such as voter registration and polling irregularities; election reform proposals like the capacity of the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system; abstentions, readjustment of constituencies, defections; sources of party finances in India and the legal provisions for party funding. The papers also address one issue of the growing use of money in elections; the nature of the electoral system; corruption and criminalization in elections; the declining significance of secular nationalism in the political process use of electoral engineering to retard ethnic conflicts and the women''s reservation in elected bodies. The book will be valuable for academicians, politicians, practitioners, consultants and the interested general readers alike.

The papers in this volume, presented at an international seminar, held at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, attempt to analyse various issues concerning India''s electoral system such as voter registration and polling irregularities; election reform proposals like the capacity of the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system; abstentions, readjustment of constituencies, defections; sources of party finances in India and the legal provisions for party funding. The papers also address one issue of the growing use of money in elections; the nature of the electoral system; corruption and criminalization in elections; the declining significance of secular nationalism in the political process use of electoral engineering to retard ethnic conflicts and the women''s reservation in elected bodies. The book will be valuable for academicians, politicians, practitioners, consultants and the interested general readers alike.