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.

This is a counter-intuitive point in the article. Kothari argues that by entering politics, caste actually lost its religious/ritual significance and became secular.

Rajni Kothari argued that caste is not a dying relic of tradition but a that has shaped modern Indian democracy. Instead of politics destroying caste, caste has politicized itself — transforming into a key vehicle for political mobilization, representation, and competition.

When initially published, "Caste in Indian Politics" challenged prevailing orthodoxies across the political spectrum. As an obituary in Frontline magazine noted, Kothari "belonged to the Left without being a Marxist or a communist. He was liberal and democratic, but not bourgeois". This intellectual independence allowed him to see dimensions of Indian political reality that more dogmatic approaches missed.

Kothari notes that the caste dynamics in Indian politics have undergone significant changes over time. In the early years of India's independence, the Congress Party, with its secular and inclusive ideology, sought to transcend caste divisions. However, as the party's dominance waned, caste-based parties and alliances began to emerge, reflecting the growing assertiveness of marginalized castes. The rise of parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) exemplifies this trend, with their focus on representing the interests of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

This chapter conducts a systemic analysis of political factions in Rajasthan , demonstrating how caste solidarities cut across party lines to create factional groups that are the real units of political action.