Dishil Shrimankar

In a new study, we argue this picture is incomplete. Drawing on exceptionally fine-grained data from India’s 2014 general election, we propose a different explanation – one that focuses not on what voters want, but on what local candidates can do. Specifically, we argue that local candidates are embedded in social networks in their communities, and that these networks serve as a powerful resource for mobilising voters (Shrimankar and Heath 2026). India is an ideal setting for testing this argument.

Earlier this month, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath announced that his government was considering a quota for locals in private sector jobs in the state. Kamal Nath isn’t the first chief minister to make such an announcement. Earlier this year, the Assam government had made similar attempts for reservation in state government jobs, legislative assembly and local bodies for indigenous Assamese people. Such demands have been a central issue in Maharashtra’s polity as well for many decades.