Comparison of BJP, Congress, CPM's manifesto

Which political party's manifesto is the best? This is a question that we answer with a comparison of the manifestos of three leading parties - The Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the CPM - which will have a role in forming the next national government.

The manifesto face-off!

If manifestos actually won elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would have crossed the gate on day one itself. This is the first time since 1998 that the BJP has released a separate manifesto and going by the sops that it promises, the road to Raisina Hill could well be less steep, even if it comes at the cost of denting the exchequer and raising the fiscal deficit further.

BJP's top focus

- Governance

- Development

- Security

- Economy

The BJP has listed scores of specific proposals aimed at supporting its claims of good governance, development and security. The economy also receives specific attention in the BJP manifesto, which the party alleges has suffered in the five years of the Congress led UPA rule.

Wooing the voter

The Congress manifesto had for good measure highlighted its achievements in the past five years while seeking a fresh five-year mandate.

It has promised to stimulate demand in the domestic economy and ensure that there is more purchasing power in the hands of the people and more liquidity in the hands of companies. In contrast, the BJP has spelt out major tax breaks and incentives as a measure to kick start the economy. The third important political force, the CPM, has adopted a radically different approach and instead of tax breaks, has warned it would go ahead and raise taxes on individuals as well as on stock market transactions.

But, political realities mean that the BJP may have to drop a number of its pet proposals in the National Agenda for Governance that will be issued by the National Democratic Alliance by April 16.

Predictably, a war of words broke out with Congress leader Kapil Sibal claiming that 70 % of the BJP manifesto was a copy of the Congress document. That may well be the reality of Indian politics - when it comes to broad macro economics and social concerns, the Congress and the BJP do not really differ that much. But the twain shall never meet.

Page 2: Detailed comparison of the manifestos