Emerging Business-Elite Leadership and Vote-Buying Strategies in Telangana’s Electoral Politics: Implications for Democratic Accountability

Abstract

Vote buying has persistently shaped the contours of India’s electoral politics, underscoring deeper socio-economic disparities within its democratic processes. This study offers a focused examination of vote-buying practices in Telangana—a state undergoing rapid political and economic shifts—by investigating the rise of a new cohort of business-oriented political leaders. Building on Lehoucq’s (2007) conceptualization of vote buying as a cost-effective tool for electoral manipulation and Hicken’s (2011) linkage between low economic development and vote-buying feasibility, the research combines qualitative and quantitative evidence, including case studies, interviews with stakeholders, and election expenditure analyses. Findings reveal how financially affluent political entrepreneurs deploy direct monetary transfers, in-kind goods distribution, welfare promises, and digital payment mechanisms to consolidate power. These practices are facilitated by a nexus of economic clout, social networks, and weakly enforced campaign finance regulations, thereby eroding democratic accountability. Moreover, structural factors such as poverty, caste configurations, and attenuated party loyalties intensify voter susceptibility to clientelistic exchanges. By situating Telangana’s experience within broader debates on political economy and governance in developing contexts, this research contributes a nuanced perspective on the interplay between economic power and democracy in India. The analysis underscores an urgent need for policy reforms, including stronger regulatory frameworks, enhanced voter education, and grassroots mobilization, to safeguard the integrity of democratic institutions against escalating financial influences in electoral processes.