The School of Development Studies is pleased to invite you to a talk by Tariq Thachil on ‘Why Poor Vote for Elite Parties?’ as a part of the Prof. Rajni Kothari Lecture Series. The talk will be moderated by Prof. Ashwani Kumar, Professor,Centre for Public Policy, Habitat and Human Development, School of Development Studies.

The Prof. Rajni Kothari Lecture Series is anchored at Center of Public Policy, Habitat and Human Development and conceptualized and curated by Prof. Ashwani Kumar, School of Development Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (Mumbai).

Prof. Rajni Kothari (16 August 1928 - 19 January 2015) was a celebrated political scientist, academic- activist, author of the classic ‘Politics in India’ and founder of Centre for the Study of Developing Societies(CSDS) and Lokayan. Rajni Kothari, scholar extraordinaire, preeminent political theorist and a visionary beyond compare, single-handedly revolutionized the study of politics in the country. His intellectual prowess and unwavering activism gave the country lasting institutions and ideals which have inspired countless generations of students and academicians and continue to do so.

Tariq Thachil is Associate Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA. The talk is based on his book which examines how elite parties can use social services to win mass support, through a study of Hindu nationalism in India. The book was published by Cambridge University Press (Studies in Comparative Politics) in 2014. The book has won numerous awards, including the 2015 Gregory Luebbert Award for best book in Comparative Politics.

On this occasion, we look forward to a lively and enriching discussion by the faculty and the students.