The electoral language of caste in India: The politics of shared identity

Abstract

Social identities are not merely descriptive categories but discursive resources mobilised in electoral practices. The caste-based electoral appeals in Indian elections, exemplify how identities are performatively invoked and normalised in the democratic life. This article employs critical discourse analysis of 31 political speeches to investigate the rhetorical strategies and illocutionary force indicating devices through which leaders interpellate voters into caste-based collectivities. The study shows how affective resonance and persuasive tropes are deployed to cultivate electoral belonging and political solidarity. By conceptualising caste-appeals as a mode of identity performance and discursive hegemony, the article illuminates that electoral language both reproduces and legitimises social hierarchies under the guise of democratic inclusion. This analysis foregrounds the nexus of discourse, identity, and power, offering theoretical insights into political communication, the performativity of social categories, and the reproduction of inequality in democratic contexts. © The Author(s) 2026