Political Party v/s Caste - Changing Power Structure in Rural India

Abstract

Indian villages are open for change today. Traditional farming method is not in practice, gradually the literacy rate is increasing, gender roles are under transmission, caste rigidity is losing its strength, urban life is replicating in villages and the traditional power structure is under rapid transmission. The democratic elections are changing both the structure of political power and caste system. The traditional leadership on lineage basis has lost the authority and a new class of elected members is occupying the place of traditional
leaders. The term ‘power’ itself is redefined in villages. The newly elected members have more priority in villages than the traditional leaders. This study has been conducted in villages of Ramanagara district of the Karnataka state which is located in southern part of India.