‘Mr. Clean’ and his ‘computer boys’: technology, technocracy, and de-politicisation in the Indian National Congress (1981–1991)

Figures & data

Table 1. Composition of INC candidates in the 1983 and 1985 Assam Assembly Elections.

	1983 Assembly Elections	1985 Assembly Elections
Total Incumbent INC MLAs	34^†	91
Re-nominated INC Incumbents	21	50
% Re-nominated Incumbents	61.7%	54.9%
Total INC Candidates	109	125

Source: Hangal et al. (2019).

^† This figure includes MLAs elected under the banner of both ‘INC’ and ‘INC(Indira)’ in the 1978 Assam Assembly Elections.

Table 2. INC’s Performance in the 1983 and 1985 State Assembly Elections in Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.

	1983 Assembly Election			1985 Assembly Election
	Seat Share (%)	Strike Rate (%)	Vote Share in Contested Seats (%)	Seat Share	Strike Rate (%)	Vote Share in Contested Seats (%)
Assam	83.49	83.49	52.53	19.84	20	23.41
Andhra Pradesh	20.41	20.41	33.58	17.01	17.24	37.77
Karnataka	36.61	37.1	40.89	29.02	29.15	41.03
	1980 Assembly Election			1985 Assembly Election
	Seat Share	Strike Rate (%)	Vote Share in Contested Seats (%)	Seat Share	Strike Rate (%)	Vote Share in Contested Seats (%)
Maharashtra	64.58	65.03	44.91	55.9	56.1	43.55

Source: Bhogale et al. (2019).

Hangal, S., Kumar, M., Nissa, B. U., & Verniers, G. (2019). Individual incumbency dataset, 1962-current. Trivedi Centre for Political Data, Ashoka University.

 Google Scholar

Bhogale, S., Hangal, S., Jensenius, F., Kumar, M., Narayan, C., Nissa, B. U., Verniers, G. (2019). TCPD Indian election data v1. Trivedi Centre for Political Data, Ashoka University.

 Google Scholar