Buying and Selling of Vote in Local Body Elections: A Case Study of Telangana

Abstract

This research is an in-depth study on the influence of money in local body elections in India, particularly Gram Panchayat, which is the lowest tier of local governance, and consequences thereof. The age of the voters, genders and their education plays a significant factor in stigmatising the vote-buying behaviour. Women, youths and educated have more stigma towards vote buying. Vote buying takes different forms in different places and is more intense in some places than others. The degree to which democracy is afflicted by these ills, and the particular kind of damage inflicted, thus vary. Vote-buying, should also be noted, has consequences that extend beyond the political realm. Certain kinds of vote buying affect the economy by driving up land prices and concentrating landownership which may have long-term political implications. Most of the cases of the incidence of money is found in the places where real estate business is booming with huge population. The competition is more in the Panchayats where there is more income and grants available in these bodies.