On Tuesday, the Congress released its manifesto for the the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, offering a rare moment in Indian politics when proposals about policy and programmes made the news over rhetoric and invective. The manifesto cemented the perception of Congress as a party of social democracy. It promised a minimum income for every citizen that, if implemented, would be India’s largest welfare scheme. Government employment would be ramped up and farmers unable to pay their debts would not be prosecuted criminally, the party promised.
The Congress also sought to occupy the social progressive space with a commitment to institute caste and religious diversity practices in government bodies as well as to address the rights of sexual and gender minorities. Free speech would be strengthened, it said, with plans to remove the laws on sedition and criminal defamation.
While the manifesto was a good pitch to anyone who agreed with the Congress’ progressive focus, its timing was odd. The first phase of the Lok Sabha election is on April 11 – a little more than a week away. While the manifesto looks comprehensive, it seems that even the Congress did not think of the vision it is projecting as a vote catcher on the ground.
Adding the impression that parties do not take manifestos seriously was the Bharatiya Janata Party’s response. Rather than debate the Congress’ proposals, Union minister Arun Jaitley responded on Tuesday with the bizarre allegation that the document had been “drafted by the Congress president’s friend in the tukde tukde [balkanise India] gang”.
The idea that the BJP does not think much of manifestos is emphasised by the fact that the party is yet to release its own vision document for the 2019 election. In the last Lok Sabha election, the party waited till the last moment to do so, releasing its manifesto on the first day of voting.
The BJP and Congress are not alone. Across the political spectrum, manifestos are, at best, a sideshow. India’s politics is dominated by rhetoric: communal statements, caste identity and religious messaging outweigh discussion on issues concerning development.
In this style of politics, the Indian voter loses out. Emotional appeals to the BJP’s Hindutva base or references to Rahul Gandhi’s caste do nothing for real concerns like wealth creation or equal access to resources.
Besides, voters are now unable to hold parties accountable on the few concrete policies that politicians do propose. For instance, Narendra Modi’s 2013 promise that every Indian would get at least Rs 15 lakh once the BJP bought back all the black money stashed away by Indian abroad did not find a place in the party manifesto. BJP president Amit Shah later characterised the commitment as a “jumla”, a figurative statement not meant to be taken literally.
According manifestos the significance they deserve would allow voters to make more informed choices and for political parties to communicate their policies without any ambiguity.