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The meanest election India has ever seen

Amitabh Mattoo, The University of Melbourne

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Amitabh Mattoo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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A Bharatiya Janata Party official said people who don’t vote for Narendra Modi have no place in India and should move to Pakistan, taking campaigning to a new low. EPA/Divyakant Solanki

With results due in next week, campaigning for India’s 16th Lok Sabha (lower house) election is in its final stages. Commentators are calling this the meanest election India has ever seen, with mudslinging taken to a new level.

International relations scholar Amitabh Mattoo says this is due to the changing political landscape in India where elections are presidential-style personality contests and candidates will do anything to tarnish the reputation of their adversaries.

Listen to Professor Mattoo’s podcast below.

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