Caste has been a pivotal element in Indian society and politics since the country's independence. Rajni Kothari, in her works, has elaborated on how caste influences political behavior, party politics, and the electoral process in India.
Kothari proposed that rather than being an obstacle, caste acted as a crucial buffer. The politicization of caste allowed the Indian social fabric to absorb the disruptive shocks of modernization (like universal adult franchise, economic change, and new administrative systems) without completely fracturing. It provided a familiar, stable framework for new political processes to unfold, ensuring social continuity amidst rapid change. Rajni Kothari Caste In Indian Politics 15.pdf
The rise of caste-based political parties, the implementation of Mandal Commission recommendations, and the continuing debates over affirmative action policies all unfold within the framework that Kothari helped establish. As one recent analysis concluded, "the politicization of caste in India has shaped the nature of Indian politics to a great extent". Caste has been a pivotal element in Indian
Long before “vote bank” became a pejorative term, Kothari described it neutrally. He observed that political parties do not fight caste; they systematize it. A candidate from a dominant caste (e.g., Patidars in Gujarat, Marathas in Maharashtra) does not win simply because of ritual status, but because they can deliver a consolidated bloc. Page 15 often provides the earliest scholarly formulation of what we now call . The politicization of caste allowed the Indian social
This study focuses on the political rivalry between two dominant agrarian castes of Andhra Pradesh—the Reddis and Kammas . It explores how caste identities often manifest as political factions, creating a deeply competitive and factionalized political landscape.
The 2010 second edition, revised by James Manor and published by Orient BlackSwan, adds an extended prologue that brings the analysis up to date. Manor, the Emeka Anyaoku Professor at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London, discusses "how the waning effects of caste hierarchies have had widespread consequences for the voting patterns of the jati-clusters or caste groups". This edition "picks up from where Kothari and others had left off, and thus serves as a seminal collection that is completely contemporary".
On one hand, . Electoral competition, party formation, and political mobilization have all found fertile ground in existing caste solidarities. Political parties systematically seek caste support to win elections, and candidates are often nominated with careful attention to the caste composition of constituencies. The political system has, in effect, turned caste into a "unit of political mobilisation".