Electoral Politics in the Time of Change: India's Third Electoral System, 1989-99 Author(s): Yogendra Yadav Source: Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 34, No. 34/35 (Aug. 21 - Sep. 3, 1999), pp. 2393- 2399 Published by: Economic and Political Weekly Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4408334 . Accessed: 09/01/2014 20:07 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact
[email protected]. Economic and Political Weekly is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Economic and Political Weekly. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 128.59.62.83 on Thu, 9 Jan 2014 20:07:04 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Electoral Politics in the Time of Change India's Third Electoral System, 1989-99 Yogendra Yadav The popular reading of the last decade of electoral politics is of a rapid decline and impending collapse of Indian democracy. This essay attempts to contest this all too familiar view from above without yielding to the temptation of building its mirror-immage. The changing outcome of the electoral game in this decade is seen here as the reflection of a fundamental transformation in the terrain of politics which in turn is anchored in the process of social change.