Democracy on the road : a 25-year journey through India

India is a country obsessed by politics. In early 2019, it faces national elections, and urgent questions present themselves- will India continue down a path of populism and increasingly strident Hindu nationalism or will it return to its postcolonial secular vision? Is the long-promised economic book finally at hand, or is some form of socialism part of India's DNA? Will the seemingly invincible Modi triumph again, or will India revert to its habit of throwing out incumbents? Bestselling author Ruchir Sharma has been on the road during Indian elections for twenty years and here distills the wisdom of his observations and experiences over that time in a deeply insightful book about the world's largest and most complex exercise in democracy. On The Eve Of A Landmark General Election, Ruchir Sharma Offers An Unrivaled Portrait Of How India And Its Democracy Work, Drawn From His Two Decades On The Road Chasing Election Campaigns Across Every Major State, Travelling The Equivalent Of A Lap Around The Earth. Democracy On The Road Takes Readers On A Rollicking Ride With Ruchir And His Band Of Highly-informed Fellow Writers As They Talk To Farmers, Shopkeepers And Ceos From Rajasthan To Tamil Nadu, And Interview Leaders From Narendra Modi To Rahul Gandhi. No Other Book Has Taken Readers So Close To The Action, Or Traced The Arc Of Modern Indian Politics So Immediately. Offering An Intimate View Inside The Lives And Minds Of India's Political Giants And Its People, Sharma Explains How The Complex Forces Of Family, Caste And Community, Economics And Development, Money And Corruption, Bollywood And Godmen, Have Conspired To Elect And Topple Indian Leaders Since Indira Gandhi. The Ultimately Encouraging Message Of Ruchir's Travels Is That, While Democracy Is Retreating In Many Parts Of The World, It Is Thriving In India--dust Jacket Flap. Ruchir Sharma. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 365-369) And Index. Also Available In Electronic Format.