Srinagar, July 19 -- India's democracy has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past three decades. Electoral competition is no longer driven solely by ideology, caste coalitions or economic liberalisation; increasingly, it revolves around welfare. Political parties compete by promising free electricity, subsidised food, direct cash transfers, loan waivers, healthcare, housing and transport. This phenomenon may be described as povertarian politics-a political economy in which poverty is no longer merely a developmental challenge but the principal arena of electoral competition. Welfare thus becomes both an instrument of social justice and a currency of political legitimacy. The resulting contest is not over whether the poor shou...