LINKAGES BETWEEN POLITICAL PARTIES AND PANCHAYATI RAJ INSTITUTIONS IN BIHAR (A Study of Its Modes and Legitimacy)

Whether in practice or not in a particular state, political parties become interested in panchayat raj institutions (PRIs) in order to intonate them as mobilizing force in Assembly and Parliamentary elections on one hand and the panchayat leaders become inclined to enable themselves to render services and help to their constituents in shape of handling bureaucratic procedures and in redressai of their grievances through using the network of political parties on the other. The present paper deals with the latent and manifested modes of involvement of political parties in Bihar and goes to assess the legitimacy of their involvement. Keywords: Political Parties, PRIs, Legitimacy, latent roles