VOTING BEHAVIOUR IN INDIA: THE CASE OF MALDA DISTRICT

This review synthesizes scholarly insights on voter behavior in India, with a case focus on Malda district, West Bengal. It examines classical frameworks – rational-choice, sociological, psychological, and media effects – and their relevance to Indian elections. We trace national trends (Congress dominance to coalition politics to personality-driven voting) and West Bengal’s distinctive shift from Left Front rule to Trinamool Congress (TMC) ascendancy and rising BJP influence. Malda exemplifies these shifts: historically a Congress bastion under Ghani Khan Choudhury, it has become a three-way contest among Congress, TMC, and BJP. Key determinants in Malda include caste and religion (notably the Muslim majority and Matua Scheduled-Caste bloc), economic class and welfare schemes, media exposure (traditional and social), and charismatic leadership appeals. We draw on electoral data and case studies: for example, Figure 1 (below) plots the 2014–2024 Lok Sabha vote shares for major parties in Maldaha Dakshin, showing Congress’s decline and BJP’s rise. A summary Table 1 presents Malda’s 2021 Assembly results. The literature confirms that Indian voters respond both to identity and material incentives: economic performance and welfare schemes can sway voters (in line with rational choice expectations), while group identity (caste, religion) often remains salient. Media penetration and candidate image have grown in influence. In Malda’s socio-political context – poor, agrarian, and demographically diverse – these factors intersect: Muslim-majority areas have gravitated toward co-religious leadership, while welfare initiatives (e.g. Kanyashree, Sabuj Sathi) and development issues influence low-income voters. Our review highlights how both traditional loyalties and evolving contemporary dynamics shape Malda’s electoral landscape, reflecting broader patterns in Indian democracy.