Journal of Political Studies

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Open Access
Is Democracy Threatened by Political Parties? The Case of Islamic Republic of Pakistan
(University of North Bengal, 2016) Biswas, Anandita
In Pakistan, political parties are mechanisms instrumentalized by the military rulers and powerful elites for political manipulation and strategic circumvention. Pakistan has failed to firmly entrench a coherent and ingenuous party system. Due to lack of institutional deepening, Pakistan’s macro and micro trajectory are highly dependent on the whims and fancies of the individual who happens to be in charge. Political parties suffer internal deficiencies, undemocratic structures and practices, defection, factionalism and top-heavy leadership. Yet, people of Pakistan have not given up democracy. This paper analyses why democracy has failed to establish root into the Pakistani soil and the prime hindrances in the trajectory of blossoming of democratic norms and values.
Open Access
Simultaneous Elections: A Sure Recipe for Democratic Disaster
(University of North Bengal, 2017) Howladar, Sumit
The journey of India’s democracy has been an exciting and remarkable one. It has traversed several unchartered and difficult paths. Elections have been one of the core components and drivers behind this project of democratic expansion and consolidation. With changing times both the scale and mode of conducting elections have also changed drastically. While in the earlier years simultaneous elections of both the Lok Sabha and the State Assemblies took place, in the last fifty years this system became defunct. But recently the present incumbent government has pushed for renewing this system of conducting simultaneous elections. This paper argues that with the changed socio-political scenario revival of this system is not in the best interest of the nation’s democratic fabric. It highlights that the arguments put forward behind the desirability and feasibility of the said proposal largely based on faulty assumptions and lack sound argumentative base. Delving into the various layers of the issue, the paper underlines the core point that though on a technocratic level conducting simultaneous elections might seem highly appealing, but from a perspective of democratic fructification, this system is bound to prove regressive and counter-productive.
Open Access
Simultaneous Elections: A Sure Recipe for Democratic Disaster
(University of North Bengal, 2014-03) Howladar, Sumit
The journey of India’s democracy has been an exciting and remarkable one. It has traversed several unchartered and difficult paths. Elections have been one of the core components and drivers behind this project of democratic expansion and consolidation. With changing times both the scale and mode of conducting elections have also changed drastically. While in the earlier years simultaneous elections of both the Lok Sabha and the State Assemblies took place, in the last fifty years this system became defunct. But recently the present incumbent government has pushed for renewing this system of conducting simultaneous elections. This paper argues that with the changed socio-political scenario revival of this system is not in the best interest of the nation’s democratic fabric. It highlights that the arguments put forward behind the desirability and feasibility of the said proposal largely based on faulty assumptions and lack sound argumentative base. Delving into the various layers of the issue, the paper underlines the core point that though on a technocratic level conducting simultaneous elections might seem highly appealing, but from a perspective of democratic fructification, this system is bound to prove regressive and counter-productive. Keywords:
Open Access
Populist Politics and Electoral Democracy: A Study of Mamata Banerjee
(University of North Bengal, 2014-03) Howladar, Sumit
One crucial factor behind Mamata Banerjee’s enormous success in the landmark 2011 assembly election in West Bengal has undoubtedly been her populist style of functioning. In this paper I examine whether her politics can be labelled as a pathological political phenomenon or as an authentic form of political representation. I try and locate the element of ‘the people’ and see how she maintains a fine balance between the heterogeneous interests surrounding it juxtaposed against legitimacy and accountability. Lastly I analyse the possibility of ushering of certain self-imposed qualifications and limitations within the larger ambit of her populist style of functioning.
Open Access
Maoists of Nepal: Their use of Nationalism
(University of North Bengal, 2013-10) Giri, Mukunds
Nationalism is not an ideology, yet Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) used it to mobilise the masses. In using it they joined it with the programme of Mao’s New Democratic Strategy, raising the stature of Nepalese nationalism near ideology if not to full-fledged ideology. This perhaps explained their success in leading the decade-long movement which started in 1996. Suchtactics; however, lights up another area of research. If nationalism can be so changed, can ethnic movements similarly claim in their mobilising ability the presence of some form of programmes?

Journal of Political Studies

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