Podcast: The Vehicle of Change is Always Politics – Sanjay Kumar on the 2024 Elections in India

In this conversation for CEU Democracy Institute’s journal Review of Democracy with our Global Forum editor Anubha Anushree, eminent psephologist  and political analyst Sanjay Kumar discusses the recently concluded elections in India. Kumar weighs in on some of the unique features of the Indian elections in 2024, the emerging patterns of change, and what the election verdicts mean for democracy and politics in the Global South.

Sanjay Kumar is currently a Professor at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi. He served as the Director of CSDS from January 2014 till January 2020. His main area of research has been elections in India and voting behaviour. Kumar has also conducted research on other themes such as youth in India and the state of democracy in South Asia. His latest books are Elections in India: An Overview (2022) and Women Voters in Indian Elections: Changing Trends and Emerging Patterns (2022). His earlier publications include Post-Mandal Politics in Bihar: Changing Electoral Patterns (2018), Changing Electoral Politics in Delhi: From Caste to Class (2013) and Measuring Voting Behaviour in India (2013). He has been an Election Observer in numerous countries. He is also a prominent face in Indian media.

The conversation was conducted by Anubha Anushree. Adam Hushegyi edited the recording.