PREFACE
Free, fair and periodical elections are a hall
mark of a Democracy and a barometer of public aspirations
and mood.
Elections are the backbone of democracy.
They
are central to the functioning of modern democracy.
They
represent the people's representation in the State affairs.
Democracy today implies not government by the people which
is an impossibility but effective control over Government
by the people.
Elections constitute the principal mechanism
for exercising this control and it is this that gives spe­
cial significance to them.
Elections determine who should
come into power and carry on the government of the country.
It is through this power of electoral decision that people
exercise control over government and the broad lines of
policy pursued by it.
It is elections that give legiti­
macy or a valid title to rule the government in a democracy.
Elections in India provide the occasion for the
widest degree of popular participation# they constitute
the most Important single arena for genuine competition
between political groups and they are the principal agency
through which recruitment to a significant part of the
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political elite is effected.
Thus, Elections are the
periodical opportunities for the people to express their
preferences on the type of the government in the personnel
and policies of the government.
The systematic study of the voting behaviour in
the elections provides a peep in to the national political
development and the pattern of politics in a particular
region.
In democratic# secular and socialist India, the
democratic set up at the centre and the state levels is
based on a broad andlt franchise# direct
vidual freedom and competitive parties.
elections# indi­
It is a system
dedicated to rising the standard of living# redistributing
income# improving the economic status of the common man
and in moving towards egalitarian social and political
ends.
To achieve these objectives systematic# well orga­
nised and well conducted elections at Centre and State
levels is of paramount importance.
Elections are particularly conspicuous and
revealing aspects of contemporary political systems as
they serve to highlight and dramatise a political system#
bringing its nature into sharp relief# and provide in­
sights into the other aspects of the system# so also the
basic nature and actual functioning of the system as a
whole.
Anantapur district is one of the backward
districts of Andhra Pradesh in Rayalaseema region.
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Politically, it has been comprising of two parliamentary
Constituencies and fourteen Assembly Constituencies.
Singanamala is one of these fourteen Constituencies for­
med in 1967 Assembly elections as a General Constituency
and was later in the year 1978 it was converted into a
Reserved Constituency for Scheduled Castes.
Since then
this Constituency has witnessed five Assembly elections
and gave berth to candidates of various political parties
like the Janata, the Congress and the Telugu Desam and
represented in the State Assembly through its representa­
tives of the above parties for different tenures.
PROBLEM s
The success or failure of democracy is analysed
through the mode of elections, the method of elections
and the electoral process.
The study of electoral process
always depends upon various aspects like determination of
Constituencies, nomination, convassing, polling
or voting
behaviour of the electorate, the election malpractices and
finally analysing the election results.
Singanamala Con­
stituency in Anantapur district has been an Assembly Con­
stituency reserved for Scheduled Castes candidates to
contest since the year 1978 onwards and experienced the
elections as many as five times (as a Reserved Constituency
and seven times as an Assembly Constituency).
There has
been no studies conducted on any one of the Assembly Con­
stituencies in Anantapur district in general and a Reserved
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Consgituency like Singanamala in particular.
Atleast,
not even a pre-poll or post-poll survey has been under­
taken by any scholar or resercher to study the trends of
elections
except certain surveys conducted by the daily
news papers at the time of elections in Singanamala Con­
stituency or in Anantapur district.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY s
Hence, an attempt is made in this thesis to
study and analyse the electoral politics in Anantapur
district with a case study on singanamala Reserved Con­
stituency since the 1978 Assembly polls to the latest
1994 Assembly polls with special emphasis on various
aspects like the political parties and the caste politics,
determination of the constituency, nomination process
and adoption of candidature, techniques of canvassing,
voting behaviour, election malpractices and the results
analysis with a view draw summary and conclusion on the
voting behaviour and electoral politics in the series of
Assembly elections in Singanamala Constituency.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY s
The objectives of the present study are Six
fold in character.
They are s
1. To study the importance of elections and various com­
ponents of elections in India.
2. To analyse the setting up of various political parties
and caste politics in Andhra Pradesh.
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3. To discuss the political scenario of Anantapur district
in respect of Assembly elections.
4. To evaluate the vidhana Sabha elections in singanamala
Constituency.
5. To review the Nomination process and compaigning techni­
ques adopted in various Assembly elections in Singanamala
Constituency, and
6. To draw summary and conclusions on the electoral politics
in Singanamala Assembly Constituency.
METHODOLOGY s
The present study is based on both primary and
Secondary data.
The Primary data was collected try means of
field survey for empirical analysis.
Personal interviews
were conducted with the leaders of the political parties
like the Congress, the Telugu Desam and the other Indepen­
dents, various group leaders, Mandal Parishad Chairmen,
Village Panehayat Sarpanches and so on.
The ward members
and the voters at a random level were interviewed to know
their perceptions and their attitude towards a particular
leader and party.
On the spot study was also conducted at
the time of 1994 Assembly elections held on December 1,
1994 and pre and post election observation was also made.
The data on the opinions and attitudes of the different
party functionaries and election compaigns in the consti­
tuency was also collected through interviews with the
concerned.
The Secondary data was collected through the
daily news papers, journals, research works, books and
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government records.
Election records, presiding officers
diaries, election reports, elections results, Returning
officers' Reports, final result sheets and so on were also
collected and made use of which are available in the
district Collector's office of Anantapur.
The district
Gazetters, election notifications. Gazette publications
relating to the assembly elections were also examined.
Various books and journals relating to electoral politics,
voting behaviour, Assembly elections and so on were also
studied.
Finally the national and regional newspapers,
brochures,, party manifestos, pamphlets and other published
and unpublished literature on the subject were also made
use of.
PLAN OF ANALYSIS :
Though the present study is descriptive in nature,
certain tables and figures have been presented for analy­
tical purpose.
PLAN OF THE STUDY s
The present thesis has been divided into six chapters
starting with discussion about importance of elections and
various components of elections in the first chapter, poli­
tical parties and their set up and role of caste in politics in
Andhra Pradesh in the Second Chapter, political history
and political Scenario in Anantapur district in the third
Chapter, analysis of Vidhanasabha elections in Singanamala
Constituency in the fourth Chapter, description of the
nomination process and electoral compaigning techniques in
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fifth chapter and drawing of summary and conclusions on the
electoral politics in Anantapur district with special refe­
rence to Assembly elections in Sinagnamala reserved consti­
tuency for scheduled castes in the last chapter.