THE DYNAMICS OF INDIAN POLITICAL FACTIONS (SOUTH ASIA EDITION)

This study constitutes an analysis of factionalism between rival groups in the dominant Congress Party in Maharashtra. The principal question examined is whether a politicians decision to oppose or rebel against party authority is determined or can be predicted by certain characteristics of the individual concerned and his environment (e.g. the amount of land he owns or the level of education urbanization prosperity etc. of the area in which he operates politically). About 160 Congress Party members on four district councils were interviewed and their answers provided the main source of information for the analysis. The legally defined jurisdiction of the district councils is rural Maharashtra and the political factions examined thus operate in a rural milieu.