Growing political power of poor in India

[varun]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/3911193.stm

...A pro-reformist is seen as a supporter of the World Bank, the IMF, globalisation and free markets. If you are anti-reform, you are seen as a pro-poor, pro-nationalisation and pro-redistribution of wealth.
Indeed, the anti-reformists have coined a new and rather neat expression - reform with a human face...


...Since India is the world's largest democracy and the poor take voting very seriously, these 350 million deprived citizens constitute a hefty and merciless conglomerate.

They have a distinct propensity to throw out their rulers. "I see the face of my MP only when he comes begging for my vote. I will teach him a lesson," one angry rural voter told me just before the May 2004 elections....