Election Politics in Manipur

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Election in a parliamentary democracy is a political means through which the political opinions and awareness of the public/voters are moulded and developed Election Involves people into politics or public affairs through political participation and mobilization, provides political linkages, resolves conflicts and also brings about peaceful and an orderly change of authority to the now leaders. The right to govern is obtained by the contesting political parties. The political parties accept the election results in the representative democracy. A good election system is the life-belt of representative government which serves an important function for both the political system and citizens. Briefly elections in India appear to be an encouragingly Integrative process.

No authentic study of the elections to the Manipur Legislative Assembly from February 1995 to February 2007 has been made. So the present study deals with the various trends of the election politics in Manipur, participation of regional and national political parties, their electoral alliances, comparative analysis of election manifestos, issues and promises, reasons for the success and setbacks of the contesting/ participating parties and their performances and prospects in the context of state politics. It also highlights the socio-economic supporting-base of the contesting parties in the constituencies, political mobilization, apathy, political awareness of the voters, voting behaviour and role of ethnic and regional forces. < p> The book has twelve chapters dealing with various dimensions of election politics in the State and is very useful to the public leaders, public administrators, legislators, teachers, students, researchers and general readers, who are interested in streamlining the election system in the country and the federating units of India.

A. PRAFULLOKUMAR SINGH (b. 1962: at Langthabal Mantrikhong Awang Leikai, Imphal) obtained his Master's degree in Political Science and M.Phil. degree in South-East Asian Studies from the University of Manipur. He also obtained a Doctor of Philosophy ('Elections and Political Dynamics: A Case Study of 1995 Assembly Elections in Manipur") from the Department of Public Administration (School of Social Sciences), North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Mizoram Campus, Aizawl. This book is a revised version of his Ph.D thesis. He is a life member of professional/academic associations such as Indian Institute of Public Administration (IPA), New Delhi and Mizoram Political Science Association. He is presently Reader and Head, Department of Political Science, Government Mamit College, Mamit, Mizoram and has been teaching for more than 17 years and also participating in a number of seminars, conferences and workshops.

The present study mainly concerns the Assembly elections in Manipur held in February 1995 to February 2007 which analyses the various trends of election politics. The book has been updated by including three Assembly elections recently held in February 2000, February 2002 and February 2007 Since the studies on election politics in Manipur are very rare, the volume deals with a various relevant dimensions of the four Assembly elections. The study contains twelve chapters dealing with a various election-related issues, problems, perspectives and suggestions. Briefly the volume/book is useful to political masters, public administrators, legislators, general readers, students, teachers and researchers.

At the very outset, I would like to express my profound and deep sense of gratitude, sincere and heartfelt respect to my supervisor Prof. R.N. Prasad, Ex-Head, Department of Public Administration, Mizoram University, Aizawl and Dean, School of Social Sciences for his sincere motivation, encouragement, thought provoking and valuable academic suggestions/guidance/comment and unstinted helps in both in completing the empirical research work and also building up of my consistent academic career without which my Ph.D. research work and its publication in the form of book would have not been possible. He, briefly, deserves my respectful regards and appreciations.

I am also thankful to a number of persons belonging to different walks of life who have been greatly help to me in the carry out of this relevant research work relating to election politics in the state of Manipur. My younger brothers have also been a great helps in providing a secretarial assistance of many types in getting the work completed in time.

I am glad to write these few words about Dr AP Kumar Singh's book on Election Politics in Manipur/1995-2007 It is a revised version of his Ph.D. thesis, which he has updated for purposes of publication.

In Parliamentary democracy, election being a political means helps to mould and promote the public/elector's political opinions and awareness. Election involves people into politics or public affairs through electoral participation, mobilization, provides political linkage, resolves conflicts and also brings about a peaceful transfer of power/authority from the old political masters to the new political masters. The right to govern is achieved/obtained by the political parties contesting elections. A good/free/fair election being a lifebelt of representative democracy serves a significant function for both the people and the political system. Election in India, briefly, appears to be integrative process.

No authentic/empirical study of the elections to the Manipur Legislative Assembly from 1995 to 2007 has been made. Being a resident of Manipur, Dr. Singh has been a close observer of the election politics and processes in the state of Manipur and the writings of this book carry enough evidence of his first hand knowledge of the peculiar electoral politics in the state.

This book has twelve chapters which deal with a various trends/ processes of electoral politics, contesting national and regional political parties, their electoral alliances, comparative analysis of election manifestoes, reasons for the success and set backs of the contesting parties, their performances at the polls and prospects in state politics. It also studies/analyses the socio-economic supporting base of the parties, political awareness of the voters, voting behaviour and role of ethnic and regional forces and money power.

For a student of state politics, Dr. Singh's book will be of great help and it is expected that our understanding of election politics will be much wider and area specific than what it has been up to date Dr. Singh deserves credit.

**Contents and Sample Pages**