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Arguably, in the general sense, there are sound and not so sound grounds that are used to justify the cabinet reshuffle by the ruling parties. Inducting legislators particularly from the marginalised castes even by the current ruling party at the centre is applauded on the grounds that the party is sensitive to the cause of social justice. Thus, for the observers, the ground for such induction is always already sound. But such induction also offers us an opportunity to raise certain broad points for consideration.
First, the induction of the legislators from lower caste and some Adivasi groups, on the face of it, may look less objectionable, particularly on the grounds of inclusionary democracy and an attempt to respond to the question of social justice. And yet, such efforts on the part of the ruling parties do reveal that the members from lower castes and Adivasis deserve the benefit of political attention only at the second instance and not the first. That is to say, they remain invisible at the very first opportunity when the formation of the government takes place. Second, the acknowledgement of the “competence” of these beneficiaries of induction does form part of the delayed assessment on the part of the ruling bosses who may think that such legislators possess necessary competence only as the secondary priority; priority that seems to be influenced more by the strategic value of these members rather than their competence, which is potentially available right from the moment these legislators make it to the central as well as state legislatures.