The book under review is a significant contribution to the study of Indian elections as well as Indian politics. It brings a whiff of fresh air into the hothouse atmosphere pre¬valent in the discipline of political science in this coun¬try. Mrs. Kaushik not only identifies the limitations of the election studies conducted during the last fifteen years but also offers an alternative approach for understanding the phenomenon of elections and electoral politics. She has rendered a very useful service in demonstrating the necessity of co-relating the socio-economic factors and their relevance to the analysis of electoral politics.
It should be noted here that election studies has been an extremely popular theme for ‘research’ among Indian poli¬tical scientists. It has made substantial financial assistance and academic credibility avail¬able to them at a very easy cost. Lakhs of rupees have been spent by the Indian Council of Social Science Research and the University Grants Commission to sponsor these studies.[/vc_column_text]