Party Politics And Assembly Elections In AP:A Case Study Of Chittoor

The Indian States have been playing a very important role in the political development of India. Andhra Pradesh in particular has been playing a dominant role in the Indian political development. It has become a trendsetter in the Indian Political process. The Telugu Desam party since its inception has been serving as a catalyst in organizing the non-Congress opposition conclaves. More recently Sri N.Chandrababu Naidu, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh has emerged as a key player capable of moulding the national political process.In the introductory chapter an attempt has been made to clarify the concepts used in the study, such as political system, political socialization, political culture, political behaviour, etc. Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh since 1952 till 1999 with the focus on the performance, political equations and strategies of various political parties. An effort is also made in this Chapter to explains the election manifestos of the Congress (I), the TDP, the BJP, the Left Parties and other Regional Parties of Andhra Pradesh. It also highlights the type of campaigns organized by these political parties to secure votes in the elections.