How Can Electoral Success be Sustained by a 'Lagging Development' Regime? Population, Economy and Society in West Bengal Since the 1970s

Abstract

West Bengal, a major state of eastern India, is conspicuous not only for being ruled by an elected Leftist coalition - so-called Left Front - uninterruptedly for about last three decades (often described as sound 'political stability'), but also for its widely acknowledged successes in fertility transition, execution of redistributive land reform and political decentralization programs. Ironically, however, the state, in almost all comparative assessments of social, human, infrastructural developments - typically stands to occupy a clearly lagged position vis-a-vis many other states, especially in the south and even against all-India records on many key indicators. This paper seeks a clue to this by comprehensively evaluating West Bengal's relative performance in demographic and socio-economic transformation. A well-disciplined grassroots political mobilization network and machinery of the Left Front parties has been highly instrumental for comparatively fast declines of fertility and population growth rates and for lasting political stability in an otherwise 'laggard' infrastructural, social and human development regime. However, a government geared overwhelmingly to ensuring mass electoral support via grassroots mobilization network and priority, with a relative neglect of social and economic infrastructure and human development, is likely from longer-term perspective to be stifled by major backlashes, of which one form could be adverse patterns of inter-state migration.