Abstract: This project examines the political economy of migration from the perspective of democratization theories. I argue that the emigration of dominant groups from rural areas can facilitate the entry of historically marginalized and socially disadvantaged groups into the political system. Preliminary findings from an analysis of novel panel data on over 200 Indian villages indicates that an increase in emigration due to negative shocks is associated with a rise in the share of lower caste and Muslim candidates running for official positions in local village councils. These effects remain robust even after accounting for time-varying controls such as shifts in population size and the presence of electoral quotas.  These findings suggest that the “exit” of dominant groups through migration can facilitate ‘democratization from below’ by creating opportunities for marginalized groups to make inroads into formal politics.