Rajni Kothari Caste In Indian Politics 15.pdf [patched] -

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 .

Rajni Kothari’s "Caste in Indian Politics" (1970) theorizes that Indian democracy functions through the "politicization of caste," where traditional caste structures are utilized for modern political mobilization, rather than disappearing. Kothari argues that this interaction, moving through stages of polarization and internal competition to secular integration, has enabled marginalized groups to enter the political process and strengthened democratic legitimacy. Read a summary of Kothari's work at Scribd . KOTHARI, (ed.), "Caste in Indian Politics" (Book Review) Rajni Kothari Caste In Indian Politics 15.pdf

That is indeed a foundational text. If you have the PDF of (specifically referring to Rajni Kothari's seminal essay, often titled Caste and Politics or found as the introduction to his edited volume), you are looking at one of the most important explanations of how democracy transformed India. Long before “vote bank” became a pejorative term,