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100			_a Singh, Shashi Bhushan _956367
245			_aVillage matters: Why do the upper castes remain an electoral force in Bihar?
260			_aSociological Bulletin: Journal of the Indian Sociological Society
300			_a74(3), Jul, 2025: p.235-253
520			_aIn spite of the measures taken by the state (i.e., universal adult suffrage and introduction of statutory panchayat), operation of market forces and existence of social movements (including backward classes and Naxalite movements), the electoral system in Bihar (and also in other parts of India) continues to revolve around certain castes. The over-representation of some castes in the electoral landscape is directly linked to the under-representation of a large number of castes. While caste-based mobilisation remains an axial around which electoral politics revolves, it is also a fact that the numerical strength of different castes is not in sync with their electoral representation. So, it is imperative to consider the role of other social institutions along with caste to have a better understanding of the logic of electoral politics. By taking the example of upper castes of Bihar, who constitute not more than 14% of the state’s population but remain over-represented in the elected democratic institutions, the article tries to reflect upon the importance of villages in sustaining an electoral ecosystem that enables the electoral dominance of the upper castes. - Reproduced https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00380229251333141
650			_aelectoral system, caste-based mobilisation, electoral dominance, Bihar _956368
773			_aSociological Bulletin: Journal of the Indian Sociological Society
942			_cAR