The BJP’s return to power: mobilisation, conversion and vote swing in the 2014 Indian elections

Using constituency level data, the article examines the BJP’s vote swing at the State and Constituency level in India. Drawing on theories of electoral realignment I examine the BJP’s performance at the constituency level and investigate the extent to which the party drew voters from other parties (particularly Congress), mobilised new voters (via increased turnout), and appealed to the newly enfranchised (via increases in the size of the electoral roll). The results of the analysis show that the key to the BJP’s success was its ability to mobilise new voters in places where it had previously not fared so well.