As the Lok Sabha elections draw near, both of India’s largest national parties – the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress – have issued their manifestos, outlining their visions and commitments to the electorate. These documents are not just promises but are pivotal in understanding the strategic shifts in political messaging and policy emphasis over five years. This analysis compares the manifestos from 2019 and 2024 based on several key metrics, making certain appeals visually to the issues for the concerns of the populace.
In 2024, Narendra Modi’s pictorial presence in BJP’s manifesto is significant, underscoring his central role in the campaign. The words “Narendra Modi” are mentioned 16 times, and the word “Modi” is mentioned 30 times, excluding repetitions where “Narendra Modi” is used. Also, Modi appears pictorially 43 times in the 2024 document compared to the count of seven in the 2019 manifesto. Congress, maintaining its less centralised approach, uses fewer images of Rahul Gandhi, focusing more on diverse demographic representations. The evolution of the manifestos from 2019 to 2024 shows a clear strategic realignment for both parties. The BJP continues to build on its narrative of strong and centralised leadership under Modi, with a reinforced focus on national security and technological advancement.
While the Congress has gradually evolved from a champion of inclusivity to more a crusader for it, as seen in its two evolving manifestos, the BJP stuck to its older themes. The 2019 document of the BJP had a focus on nationalism and strong governance. Words like “development”, “technology” and “national security” dominate, reflecting a continuation of Modi’s previous policies, and resonate again in the BJP manifesto of 2024.
Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty
The BJP manifesto of 2024 tries to appeal to voters looking for continuity with the themes of theme of a strong national leadership and robust security, leveraging the image of Narendra Modi. In fact, the BJP document refers to “development” 17 times, “Sabka Saath 7 times”, “Sabka Vikas” 7 times, “Virasat” five times and let alone “Modi ki Guarantee” 52 times. The repetition of these phrases shows that BJP through its manifesto champions the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, emphasising strong governance, and promising broad socio-economic development. It focuses on national security, infrastructure enhancements and technological advancements, reflecting a continuation of Modi’s prior policies.
The Congress, on the other hand, positions itself as a crusader of inclusivity and social justice, aiming to appeal to a broader base by emphasising democratic values and equitable development, while equally targeting the ruling government. Terms like “inclusivity”, “democracy” and “education” are prevalent, indicating a focus on social welfare and democratic governance. While it is very mundane to see the ‘70-year Congress mismanagement’ in the BJP manifestos, Congress specifically targeted the BJP for economic mismanagement, fostering a climate of fear and repression, and undermining democratic institutions and federal structures. In fact, the Congress manifesto mentions “BJP” 38 times, and these mentions mostly critique the BJP’s policies and governance. While pledging a “New Beginning”, the Congress manifesto emphasises the following topics: women (40 times), farmers (21 times), jobs (29 times), economics (32 times), education (43 times) and justice (17 times). The Congress party’s dedication to tackling a wide range of socioeconomic challenges as part of their political platform for the 2024 elections is highlighted by this thematic emphasis.
With the Lokniti 2024 pre-poll survey revealing price rise and unemployment as top concerns of the voters, youth engagement and employment serves as a common emphasis point. Both parties in 2019 and 2024 put a strong emphasis on youth, with BJP focusing on entrepreneurship and Congress on employment and education reforms. But what came after 2019, was the COVID-19 pandemic, which drastically changed the aspirations of the youth in terms of political issues. By 2024, BJP aims to harness the potential of digital innovation for youth engagement, while Congress stresses substantial investments in educational programmes like the “New Right to Apprenticeship Act” and aims to eliminate unpaid internships, focusing on more direct employment opportunities for youth.
While seeing the years after 2019, BJP had faced a strong backlash from the farmers, in forms of two farmers’ protests. Both parties prioritise agriculture, with BJP focusing on enhancing existing schemes with an emphasis towards rectification of its image amongst the farmers; and Congress proposing structural reforms to provide more robust support to farmers.
Farmers in the upcoming elections can be a dicey demographic for the BJP. The 2024 document has managed to mention its previous initiatives to an ‘unprecedented hike’ in the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) and aims to strengthen the “PM Kisan Yojana”, to regain what it had lost amongst the farmers. The Congress, what it did during the Bharat Jodo Yatra 2.0, which is a direct antithesis of the BJP, proposes a legal guarantee for MSP and plans to establish a “Permanent Commission on Farmers’ Income” to secure and enhance farmer welfare.
Lastly, development and economic concerns also find themselves equally emphasised in each manifesto. The BJP frames its agenda to be focused on growth and global competitiveness, aiming to attract investments and improve infrastructure. The Congress counters with a vision to address systemic criticisms and inequalities and promote employment, which could resonate with the younger electorate and those impacted by economic slowdowns. It specifically targets doubling the GDP in ten years, promoting a job-oriented economic strategy, particularly in technology and manufacturing sectors.
As India moves closer to the 2024 elections, the manifestos not only reflect the parties’ visions but also act as a mirror to the electorate’s evolving priorities and expectations. These documents are crucial in gauging how both parties plan to address the critical challenges facing the nation, offering voters distinct choices that will shape India’s future policy direction and global standing. The key question is whether or not they will be able to significantly alter voter mood, either by stalling Modi with the said 400 threshold for his third consecutive term or by seeking to the incumbent as their saviour.
Nirmanyu Chouhan, a researcher at Lokniti, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, earned his Bachelor’s degree in History from Hindu College, University of Delhi. His areas of interest include caste politics, literature, history, and Indian politics.
