Piety and Politics: The Electoral Consequences of Mass Religious Gatherings in India

• In Event: Religion and Politics: Perspectives from India and Pakistan

Brief Overview

We find that mass religious gatherings enhance support for Hindu nationalist parties in India. Through "platform co-optation," such parties exploit religious events for voter outreach and cadre recruitment, which in turn yield electoral dividends.

Authors

• Siddhartha Baral, University of California-San Diego

• Gareth Nellis, University of California-San Diego

• Michael Doyle Weaver, The University of British Columbia