For the first time in our history, the Indian middle class has emerged as an important player in the elections, both in terms of its numerical size and the influence it wields.

 

For the first time in our history, a pan - Indian class, largely homogeneous, mostly educated and universally angry, is a factor in the war rooms of almost all political parties. In keeping with the global middle-class revolution, will the Indian counterpart emerge as a credible game-changer, with an alternative vision that shows political discrimination, a wider agenda, better organization and an effective leadership? Or will it merely be cannon fodder to be cynically manipulated by calculating politicians? The 2014 elections mark a watershed in the evolution of this class in India. What it does and the choices it makes will shape the future of India, for better or for worse.