article

Kerala politics and the 1965 elections

International journal of comparative sociology8 (1) • Published In 1967 • Pages: 55-88

By: Gough, Kathleen.

Abstract
Kerala’s 1965 elections were notoriously inconclusive and fragmented, leading to competing interpretations of its political landscape. Some claimed that the newly formed Left Communist Party defeated the much stronger, nationally-ruling Congress Party. Others felt that the results showed a potential decline of support for Communists in favor of the Congress Party. This article argues that both views misunderstand the dynamics of Kerala’s internal politics. It shows that election outcomes were determined not by the political ideologies of competing parties but primarily by local and regional cleavages along caste, class and religious lines.
Subjects
Political parties
Elections
Political movements
Pressure politics
Local officials
Social relationships and groups
Inter-community relations
Revolution
Prisons and jails
Form and rules of government
Real property
Classes
Castes
Religious denominations
Ingroup antagonisms
Brawls, riots, and banditry
culture
Kerala
HRAF PubDate
2017
Region
Asia
Sub Region
South Asia
Document Type
article
Evaluation
Creator Type
Anthropologist
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Teferi Abate Adem
Field Date
1948-1949, 1964
Coverage Date
1921-1965
Coverage Place
Kerala, India
Notes
Kathleen Gough
Includes bibliographical references (p. 88)
LCCN
65071238
LCSH
Kerala (India)