Political party manifestos are central to the democratic process but their significance is often debated. Are they impactful documents that outline a party’s vision and plans or are they merely symbolic gestures? Despite the scepticism surrounding their importance, especially considering many voters do not read them - manifestos still play a crucial role in defining a party's future direction, addressing key issues and communicating its ideological stance.
Global Perspective: Serious Documents
Globally, party manifestos are regarded as important documents that clearly express a party's ideological vision and action plans. Scholars treat them seriously and initiatives like the Comparative Manifesto Project (CMP) convert the promises made by various political parties into statistically measurable and comparable data. This project, however, largely excludes Asian and African countries where diverse political landscapes present unique challenges.
The Indian Context: Diverse and Complex
In a country as diverse as India with a multitude of political parties, the clarity of ideological visions can vary significantly. Recognizing this, the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) developed a study protocol to analyze the Lok Sabha election manifestos of three major Indian parties—the Congress, the BJP, and the CPI (M) since 1952. These parties cover a broad ideological spectrum and their manifestos reflect the evolving priorities of Indian democracy. Seven major domains were identified for this analysis: national security, political competence, political systems, social fabric, economic planning, welfare, and development & infrastructure. This approach provided statistically measurable data to assess the focus areas of each party over time.
The Crucial Role of Election Manifestos in India
Understanding Election Manifestos: Election manifestos are essential in shaping India's electoral landscape. They play a significant role in the democratic process by offering voters a clear understanding of a party's policies, ideologies and promises.
The Heart of Democracy: Free and Fair Elections
Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of a vibrant democracy, facilitating changes in government and policies. The ability to choose leaders is fundamental to this form of governance by making it relevant in the modern world. Voters need options—candidates with distinct policies and promises that resonate with the public, ultimately translating into votes.
Traditional Campaigning and the Rise of Manifestos
While traditional campaigning methods like public rallies and speeches remain important, election manifestos have become a crucial component at all electoral levels—national, state, and local. The twentieth century brought significant changes to politics and election campaigning. With advancements in communication media, political parties had to reach voters through various channels. What was once a broad, principle-based process evolved into detailed policymaking with clear roadmaps for action once elected.
Definition and Purpose of Manifestos
The term "manifesto" comes from the Latin word "manifestum," meaning clear or noticeable. According to the Oxford Dictionary, a manifesto is a public declaration of the policy and aims of a group such as a political party. Election manifestos are official statements outlining a party's intended policies at the start of an election campaign. These documents present the ideology, intentions, views, policies and programs of a political party by serving as a reference for the public and reflecting the party's internal consensus. The primary goal of a manifesto is to attract voters and win elections.
Evolution of Manifesto Content
Over the years, the content of election manifestos has transformed significantly. They have evolved from modest 150-word documents to extensive policy pages developed by experts. Although many people do not read these manifestos, the promises they contain still exert a significant influence on the voting population. It is also true that no political party has fully delivered on all its manifesto promises after being elected.
The BJP's Fulfilment of Manifesto Promises
The importance of manifestos has increased substantially with instances like the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fulfilling key commitments from its 2014 election manifesto. These include constructing the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, abrogating Article 370 of the Constitution of India, and enacting legislation to protect and promote cows. These fulfilled promises highlight the growing significance of these policy documents in contemporary politics.
Election manifestos remain a vital element of India's democratic process. They provide voters with clear choices and reflect a party's commitment to specific policies and actions. Despite the challenges and occasional scepticism, manifestos continue to be a powerful tool in shaping the electoral landscape and guiding political discourse.
Supreme Court Rejects Election Petition Alleging Corrupt Practices
In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal questioning the dismissal of an election petition. The appeal claimed that commitments made by a political party in its manifesto which result in financial benefits to the public then it should be considered corrupt practices by the party's candidates. However, the court deemed this argument to be excessively immaterial.
The Argument Considered "Far-Fetched"
The case was presided over by justices Surya Kant and KV Viswanathan. They firmly rejected the claim that if a political party’s manifesto promises it might provide financial aid to the public then it constitutes corrupt practices by its candidates. The justices described this argument as "too far-fetched," by emphasizing that such a broad interpretation cannot be upheld.
Background of the Case
The ruling came during the hearing of a plea filed by Shashanka J. Sreedhara, a voter who challenged the Karnataka High Court’s decision. The case involved the election of BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan from the Chamrajpet Assembly Constituency in the 2023 Karnataka State Legislature elections.
Court's Final Decision
The Supreme Court concluded that it was unnecessary to delve deeply into whether manifesto commitments should be considered corrupt practices under the specific circumstances of this case. Therefore, the appeals were dismissed by upholding the original ruling of the Karnataka High Court.
Implications
This decision highlights the Supreme Court's stance on the interpretation of election laws concerning political manifestos. The court's rejection of the argument that financial promises in a manifesto could be seen as corrupt practices by candidates sets a clear precedent. It suggests that such interpretations are deemed too broad and immaterial to be legally practical.
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