The Price of Power: How Electoral Politics Derails Social Reform in India

India, the world’s largest democracy, celebrates elections a little more than the rest of the world. However, that hasn’t stopped elections from becoming a battleground of populism, short-term promises, and carefully crafted appeasement. In the present times, this reality is most visible in India, where political competition often overshadows the deeper work of building an equitable society. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections and recent state-level contests in Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka have made it clear that when power is at stake, social reform becomes the first casualty.

Freebies: The New Electoral Currency

From free LPG cylinders to monthly allowances and subsidized electricity, the culture of giveaways, also called the "revdi culture", has quietly become the default electoral strategy. Regardless of ideology, almost every political party now relies on freebies to win over voters.

Take the 2023 Telangana Assembly elections. The Congress party offered ₹2,500 per month to women, promised free bus travel, and enhanced payouts under the Rythu Bandhu scheme. The BJP responded with job quotas and promises of major infrastructure projects. But beneath all this noise, critical questions around structural reforms like improving schools, fixing healthcare systems, and strengthening rural livelihoods were barely discussed.

Relief for the vulnerable is necessary, but there's a problem when handouts start replacing policy. Manifestos are now like shopping lists, where voters are seen less as citizens and more as beneficiaries. The focus has shifted from vision to volume, from who can lead better to who can give more.

Reservation Politics: Justice or Just Arithmetic?

Reservations were meant to correct historical wrongs and ensure fair representation. But today, they are increasingly reduced to a numbers game. In Madhya Pradesh, ahead of the 2023 elections, the BJP expanded OBC quotas and floated the idea of sub-categories among the backward classes. In Bihar, the caste census was revived not just as a tool for social justice, but as a strategic move to reposition political power.

What’s missing in all of this is depth. There is little conversation around improving access to quality public education, creating meaningful job opportunities, or supporting marginalized communities beyond token measures. Instead of inclusion, reservation is being used as an instrument of political gain, fuelling new anxieties among communities who feel left out. Needless to say, this political attitude is tearing the social fabric of the country, one sensitive thread at a time!

Why Reform Always Takes a Back Seat

That is the core issue. Social reforms do not offer quick returns at the ballot box. They take time, require tough decisions, and do not lend themselves easily to slogans or soundbites. Whether it is reforming education, addressing gender-based violence, or overhauling labour laws, the work is slow and often thankless.

Look at the Women’s Reservation Bill. After years of delay, it was finally passed, but with its implementation pushed to an indefinite future. Land reform remains unfinished. Nutritional poverty continues to haunt millions. Yet none of these finds serious space in campaign debates. Why? Because they do not swing elections.

It is not a lack of money or ideas that holds India back. It is the lack of political courage in the face of electoral risk. However, the responsibility doesn’t lie with politicians alone. Civil society, the media, and the electorate must stop asking just "What will you give me?" and start asking "What will you change?" That single shift in public expectation could rebuild our broken social contract.

Because until we stop trading long-term change for short-term gain, elections will keep being won through giveaways, and the real work of nation-building will stay unfinished.

Reimagining the Social Contract

India’s democracy has grown in size but not in maturity. Our elections are thriving, but governance is shrinking. Until we move from transactional politics to transformative leadership, social reform will continue to suffer.

But remember, it is a job we all have to do together!

(The writer is a seasoned Banker and Mortgage Specialist working for India’s largest loan distributor company and occasional political commentator.)