Understanding multilevel dynamics in India: Constituent power and multilevel governance

This introduction to the special issue introduces readers to the specificities of Indian federalism and places the various contributions within a broader conceptual and comparative framework. It argues for an approach that understands centre–state relations in India by ‘blending’ elements of a ‘constituent’ and multilevel governance framework. Such an approach acknowledges that constituent power matters alongside an understanding of the resource strength of national and subnational governments linked to political leadership, policy communities and networks. Overall, we argue that constituent and informal subnational power reinforce each other and have contributed to India’s resilience as a multilevel polity, even under conditions of one-party dominance at the centre.