COMMENT | This weekend, 570 candidates were slated to run in 245 seats for the upcoming state polls. Both of the two main coalitions fielded a full slate, with Muda running in 19 seats, PRM 13, PSM in four, and other parties three. There are 41 independents running.

The fielding of candidates across six states allows us to observe broader trends in how the different parties are evolving and what they are offering the electorate.

This eighth piece in my election series looks at five macro trends, drawing from previous research on candidate backgrounds. The findings are from a detailed analysis of public information about the candidates including age, ethnicity, gender, previous standing for office, and information about their backgrounds.

For incumbency and gender, the information is based on...