Local Government, Constitutional Democracy and Federal Predicaments in India

Abstract

Local government can share the administrative workloads and tackle local affairs democratically and with better understanding. It serves as one of the cornerstones of building democracy from the grassroots level. The increasing trend of decentralisation of powers provides people a platform to take part directly in the functioning of democratic governments. Local government in India constitutes the third stratum of government. Local government has constantly been experiencing multiple challenges. One most notable challenge is the lack of fiscal autonomy. The wave of greater politicisation of local governments by the political parties is also incessantly increasing. Centralising local issues have become a typical norm in Indian politics. This definitely sows the seeds for the erosion of local democracy. The present article examines the constitutional journey of local governments in India. It further explores the ensuing fiscal and federal challenges unfolding in the local governments in India.