Edited by Suhas Palshikar, K.C. Suri, and Yogendra Yadav
Oxford University Press, 2014, New Delhi.

Party Competition in Indian States: Electoral Politics in Post-Congress Polity is a volume of essays edited by Suhas Palshikar, K C Suri, and Yogendra Yadav.

The political storm that swept Indian politics in the 1990s consolidated the post-Congress polity, a condition in which the Indian National Congress was no longer in a position to set the national agenda and ceased to be the central pole against which all other political parties were arrayed. Ever since, the states have emerged as the principal domain where electoral contests are fought, lost, and won. Focusing on electoral outcomes in twenty-four states between 2008 and 2013, this volume explores the complex dynamics of India's electoral politics.

The post-2008 phase is crucial as it saw the Congress adapt itself to the compulsions of coalition politics and survive as one of the competitors in the electoral arena—contrary to its erstwhile infallible standing. Focusing on both Parliamentary elections of 2009 and the Assembly elections in each state during the period, this book investigates how the two impact each other, and the broader patterns that emerge from their interaction. The state-specific accounts show that over the past few years the unsettling features of the post-Congress polity have waned leading to a condition which may be termed as normalization of the electoral competition.

With the aid of rich post-election surveys, this work outlines the socio-economic features, political maneuvers, and political causality that are manifest in the various patterns of party competition across Indian states.

The following chapters have been contributed by the lokniti network members in this volume.

Introduction: “Normalization of the 'Post-Congress Polity'” by Suhas Palshikar, K.C. Suri and Yogendra Yadav

1. ‘Between Fortuna and Virtu: Explaining Congress' ambiguous victory in 2009.’ By Yogendra Yadav and Suhas Palshikar
2. ‘Modi's Political Craft and Limping Congress’ by Ghanshyam Shah and Mahashweta Jani
3. ‘ Rajasthan: Stable Two-party competition’ by Sanjay Lodha
4. ‘Punjab: Towards Consolidation of a Bipolar Polity’ by Ashutosh Kumar and Jagroop Singh Sekhon
5. ‘Congress win reverses the trend of Lok Sabha Elections in Haryana.’ by Kushal Pal and Praveen Rai
6. ‘Himachal Pradesh: Continued Bi-party competition’ by Shreyas Sardesai
7. ‘2009 Parliamentary Elections in Jammu and Kashmir’ by Rekha Chowdhary
8. ‘Delhi Elections: Mandate for Policy Consonance’ by Biswajit Mohanty
9. ‘Uttarakhand: Resurgence of the Congress’ by Annpurna Nautiyal
10. ‘Uttar Pradesh: The ebb and flow of party support’ by Mirza Asmer Beg, Sudhir Kumar, and A.K. Verma
11. ‘Bihar: Development finally delivered’ by Sanjay Kumar and Rakesh Ranjan
12. ‘Permanent Incumbency Shattered: Development dilemma and electoral choice in West Bengal’ by Jyotiprasad Chatterjee and Suprio Basu
13. ‘Sikkim: A case of dominance of the ruling party’ by Banasmita Bora
14. ‘Arunachal Pradesh: Ruling Party Syndrome’ by Nani Bath
15. ‘Nagaland: Electoral Politics amidst Insurgency’ by Amongla N. Jamir
16. ‘Meghalaya's Fluid Party Alignments’ by R.K. Satapathy
17. ‘Triumph for Congress in Assam’ by Sandhya Goswami
18. ‘Jharkhand: Defies the National Trend’ by Harishwar Dayal and B. K. Sinha
19. ‘Madhya Pradesh: Unexpected Gains for Congress’ by Yatindra Singh Sisodia
20. ‘Chief Minister Wins Chhattisgarh for BJP’ by Anupama Saxena and Pravin Rai
21. ‘Survival in the Midst of Decline: A Decade (1999-2009) of Congress Rule in Maharashtra’ by Suhas Palshikar, Rajeshwari Deshpande, and Nitin Birmal
22. ‘Goa: Decline of the North-South Divide?’ by Maria Do Ceu Rodrigues
23. ‘Karnataka -2008-09: BJP penetrates the South’ by Sandeep Shastri and Veena Devi
24. ‘Andhra Pradesh: Political shifts and electoral volatility’ by K.C. Suri, P. Narasimha Rao, and V. Anji Reddy
25. ‘Kerala's Electoral Pendulum Swings Back and Forth’ by K.M. Sajad Ibrahim

(Reference: - Oxford University Press synopsis on the book jacket)