Synopsis Elections in South Asia in the 1980s and 1990s have produced many surprises. Notwithstanding the initial scepticism voiced by many a western political analyst and despite interludes of dictatorships in one or two countries, democracy as a form of governance has won a general acceptance in the region. Electoral politics in the subcontinent aptly demonstrates this fact. This volume draws together studies by internationally acclaimed scholars on national, provincial and local elections in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. It will hopefully contribute to the development of a comparative analytical framework for understanding contemporary South Asian politics.