A peek into the election manifestos of five key political parties

Most of these parties slam the 'divisive' and 'anti-people' policies of the Narendra Modi government and offer their own plans to resurrect the country and the economy

A review of the election manifestoes of five key parties other than the BJP and Congress shows that most of these political outfits have slammed the 'divisive' and 'anti-people' policies of the Narendra Modi government and have offered their own plans to resurrect the country and the economy. A gist of these plans is given below:

Communist Party of India (Marxist)

The 35-page CPI(M) manifesto is divided in two parts. The first nine pages are dedicated to presenting a picture of what the party believes to be the state of the nation. The manifesto goes into some detail under different heads to talk about what it considers to be the failures of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government. This part covers issues such as “attacks on democracy, attacks on secularism, disastrous economic policies, unemployment, growing attacks on SCs and STs, Indian economy undermined and India’s foreign policy”, among others. This part concludes that the BJP government, led by Narendra Modi has betrayed the people on every promise it made in 2014.

In part two, the manifesto speaks about the CPI(M)’s agenda for the next government, if it comes to power. This includes the following important points:

• Scrap electoral bonds, ensure state funding of polls and ban on corporate funds for elections. Verify 50 per cent VVPATs against EVMs.

• Change in how the Election Commission is appointed. EC to be appointed by the President on recommendation of a committee of PM, LoP, CJI.

• Establish a publicly-funded, universal and non-contributory old-age pension system with a minimum amount of monthly pension not less than 50 per cent of minimum wage or Rs 6,000 per month, whichever is higher.

• Public expenditure on health to be raised to 3.5 per cent in short and 5 per cent in the long term. 

• Scrap PMJAY under ‘Ayushman Bharat’ scheme. Public expenditure on education to be six per cent of GDP.

• Increase minimum wage to Rs 600 per day. Equal wages for women workers. Wages to be linked to CPI.

• The farmer should have a right to sell his produce at MSP.

• The manifesto calls for a repeal of the sedition law while also asking for an amendment in the definition of criminal contempt to prevent its misuse in suppressing dissent.

• Revision of the Indo-US nuclear deal.

• A reversal of the deregulation of petroleum products’ pricing.

Nationalist Congress Party

A member of the United Progressive Alliance, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP has also released its manifesto.  NCP’s slogan in its 23-page manifesto is ‘aao milke desh banayein’. In the preface, the party says “the country is at a crossroads. The environment in the country is uncertain, unstable and complex. After seven decades of freedom, people are being divided on religious lines.”

The manifesto is divided into different heads where the party first presents the situation at present and then how it will tackle it.

In agriculture, the manifesto points towards a slower rate of growth under the Modi government, in comparison to the previous UPA govt (2.5 per cent vs 5.2 per cent in last four years). NCP promises a complete farm loan waiver while making plans to bear some part of farm labour costs through MNREGA.

In the part on economic growth, the manifesto promises fiscal deficit will be contained at three per cent of GDP. Other than this, there are general statements on support to various industrial sectors, but nothing specific.

As far as job creation is concerned, the manifesto promises to increase support for MSME sector and increase private investment boost growth.

The NCP manifesto also promises 100 days of guaranteed employment to graduate youth in urban areas.

The manifesto promises scrapping of the Triple Talaq Bill and commits to providing minority students an aid of 50 per cent of their fee in higher education in private institutions.

For GST, the NCP manifesto promises a ‘single or at most a two rate GST’.

Samajwadi Party

“A war on poverty is a sham unless it is also a war on caste and gender”

The Samajwadi Party manifesto has this quote by Ram Manohar Lohia on its cover and seeks to bring ‘Mahaparivartan’ through social justice. Samajwadi Party is a part of a grand alliance with the BSP and RLD in Uttar Pradesh. It has divided its manifesto in sub-parts where it talks about the state of affairs and then makes a commitment if it comes to power. Some of the salient points are:

• Wealth tax of two per cent on total wealth of households owning more than Rs 2.5 crore (about 0.1 per cent of Indian households). This works out to 1.1 per cent of the GDP as per the manifesto.

• The SP promises to spend six per cent of GDP on education.

• Central reservations should be immediately updated to reflect actual caste distribution in population.

• The SP also promises 100 per cent farm loan waiver.

The SP manifesto adds: We believe that the money spent on advertising Clean India is better spent on tools and infrastructure that automate the cleaning of India and ensuring clear air and water for the many and not just those who can afford it.

Trinamool Congress

Asserting that "today, Delhi needs a people's government", the party says it will consult the best economists and other specialists, to come up with an economic policy that will not only be limited to the growth of GDP from 7 per cent to 10 per cent, but will also specifically focus on generating employment.

The party, led by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, rolls out numbers to narrate its achievements in the state, be it generating employment or focus on the labour intensive sectors and says these would be replicated at the Central level.

The party promises that it will frame a new national industrial policy to raise the sector's proportion in GDP from the current 26 per cent to deliver jobs.

It says small and marginal farmers who are currently unable to repay their debts would be in it thoughts for some suitable relief to mitigate their hardship.

The manifesto says that the party will focus on the food processing sector from end to end creating appropriate infrastructure, including temperature-controlled solar warehouses and with a specific focus on cold chain such as refrigerated container transportation.

It also promises to reinstate the Planning Commission, "wrongly dismantled" by the Modi Government. "This will enable the process of dialogue between the states and the Centre on developmental issues," it says.

Stating that micro, small and medium enterprises were worst hit by the goods and services tax (GST), the manifesto says it will formulate a policy for the sector with an eye to improve technologies and capacity to scale up.

It says it will build up strategic petroleum reserves  targeting at least 45 days in order to partly use the reserves as a buffer stock for stabilisation of petroleum prices for the common consumer.

It says it will encourage the setting up of Lokpal and Lokayukta in all states to promote the anti-corruption drive and bring transparency in governance.

The party says the time has come to set up exclusive women’s courts. "It would be our objective to deliver justice speedily and facilitate strong punishment for atrocities on women and for atrocities on SC, ST and minorities, as well as people at large," it says.

TMC says it will raise the health expenditure as a proportion of GDP steadily with a target of reaching 4.5 per cent from the current 1.38 per cent.  

It resolves to increase the expenditure on education from the current 3.24 per cent of GDP to six per cent. "We expect that 70 per cent of this expenditure will go towards school education to benefit the common people and 30 per cent will go towards higher education to enrich the human capital on research and innovation," it says.

Communist Party of India:

Attacking the Modi government for its "authoritarian" rule and RSS for pushig its "divisive" agenda, the party promises an amendment to  the Representation of People’s Act to replace the first past the post system with proportional representations system.

The party, which has fielded Kanhaiya Kumar from Begusarai in Bihar, promises implementation of the Swaminathan committee report including minimum support price to the tune of 50 per cent over total cost, including imputed value of land and capital. It also promises one time comprehensive debt waiver and separate budgets for agriculture at the Centre and in states.

CPI, headed by Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, says if voted to power, it would address the menace of stray animals by removing all legal and vigilante-imposed restrictions on the cattle trade. It would also, the party said stop land acquisition or land pooling without informed consent of the farmers.

It also commits itself  to making the Right to work as a fundamental right by amending the Constitution. It promises the enactment of Bhagat Singh National Employment Guarantee Act (BNEGA) for all.

The party also says it would scrap the New Pension System and restore the Old Pension Scheme. It assures minimum pension of Rs 9,000 a month and indexed pension to all.

For the welfare of the minorities communities, CPI promises implementation of Justice Rajendra Sachar Committee report and Ranganath Mishra panel recommendations.

It says  if voted to power it would address the menace of stray animals by removing all legal and vigilante-imposed restrictions on the cattle trade. It would also, the party said stop land acquisition or land pooling without informed consent of the farmers.

It also commits itself  to making the right to work as a fundamental right by amending the Constitution.