Opinion | BJP and Congress manifestoes offer voters a choice

In the section entitled “Cultural Heritage”, the manifesto promises to explore all possibilities within the framework of the constitution to expeditiously construct the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and draft a uniform civil code without which there can be no gender equality. But on Sabarimala, which has been wracked by controversy over the entry of women, it will seek constitutional protection on issues related to faith and belief.

Jobs and Welfare

In sharp contrast the Congress manifesto foremost reiterates its pledge to create jobs. It will fill four lakh vacancies in the central government and institutions before March 2020, create 10 lakh seva mitra positions in local bodies and one crore jobs through two missions – water bodies restoration and wasteland restoration. It will also request state governments to fill vacancies with them estimated at 20 lakhs.

But the proposal in the Congress manifesto which has attracted the most attention is the minimum income support program, Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY), which will target five crore families that make up the poorest 20 per cent of the population. Under this, Rs 72,000 will be transferred every year to the bank account of the woman in the family. The scheme which has been widely criticized by analysts as unaffordable will take up less than 2 per cent of GDP, says the manifesto.

Farm packages

Certain sectors get prominent treatment in both the manifestoes but the treatment is somewhat different. The BJP manifesto promise an investment of Rs 25 lakh crore to improve the productivity of the farm sector. Interest free Kisan credit card loans of upto Rs 1 lakh will be given and there will be a pension scheme for small and marginal farmers. The BJP also promises to build a national warehousing grid and introduce a village storage scheme for agricultural produce. It will enable the creation of 10,000 new farmer producer organizations through which farmers will be able to access inputs and markets.

Pointing to the travails of cultivators over the last few years, the Congress manifesto has promised to present a separate “Kisan budget”. This will give farmers freedom from indebtedness, as opposed to loan waiver, through remunerative prices, lower input costs and assured access to institutional credit. Significantly, the Congress will repeal the Agricultural Produce Market Committees Act and make trade in agricultural produce, including export and inter-state trade, free from all restrictions.

There is one point on which both the parties are agreed --  digitization of land ownership and land tenancy records. A specific aim of the Congress will be to recognize the ownership and rights of women farmers and ensure they get the benefit of schemes for farmers. The BJP proposes to go further and set up a system of title guarantee.

Infrastructure

It is to be expected that no manifesto will ignore infrastructure and both the parties try to give it due importance, with particular focus on urban infrastructure. The BJP will launch a national urban mobility mission to provide technology based solutions that will increase the use of public transport and bicycles, and enable people to walk more. It will integrate different public and private transport systems and put in place a common mobility card and common ticketing. It will provide piped water to every household and a new unified ministry of water that will take forward the linking of rivers.

To address the urban challenge the Congress proposes to build new towns which will have a new model of governance through directly elected mayors for five-year terms, an elected council and a separate administrative structure for each urban body. It will enforce the 74th amendment to the constitution and ensure the devolution of powers, functions and funds, thus making urban bodies financially independent. It promises a right to housing for the urban poor and a slum upgradation and transformation scheme to ensure basic services. Slums will be transformed by putting in place pucca houses, roads and other facilities.

Ideology

There is a lot that is common in both the manifestos (for example, promoting industry) and so these have been left out in this brief overview. But what stands out is a basic ideological divergence. The Congress is turning more social democratic and arguing that the specific entitlements that it is promising will become more affordable as the GDP grows and tax revenue rises. The BJP, on the other hand, is driven by its agenda of putting the “Nation First” and policy positions that flow from it.