This episode focuses on the current elections in India. The voting process has started in what is the world's largest election. The chief election commissioner, Rajiv Kumar, recently stated: “It is our promise to deliver a national election in a manner that we…remain a beacon for democracy around the world.” Much of the focus, at least in the Western media, has been on the near certainty of Nahrendra Modi being re-elected. We are here to discuss what is actually at stake in these elections for India and the world, and how things have really shaped up on the campaign trail.
Welcome to this joint Who is voting in 2024 and What Matters Today podcast episode.
A quick word about both of these series.
Who is voting in 2024 is a series produced by the Geneva Graduate Institute’s Albert Hirschman Centre On Democracy focusing on the multiple elections taking place in 2024.
What Matters Today, which is produced by the Institute’s Communications department, is a current affairs podcast series featuring Geneva Graduate Institute faculty and international experts commenting on the most pressing global issues.
Our guests today are Mukulika Banerjee and Gopalan Balachandran.
Mukulika is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She specializes in political anthropology and election cultures, among other areas. Having just returned from a few weeks in India, she brings a valuable "on the ground" perspective to this discussion.
Gopalan is the Co-Director of the Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy and a Professor of International History and Politics at the Geneva Graduate Institute. His areas of expertise include globalization, emerging countries, and diasporas, among others.