India’s General Election to the 18 ^thLok Sabha (LS, the House of the People) has the makings of a high-stakes contest. The early decades saw the dominance the Indian National Congress (INC), even if its pan-India presence receded after the 4 ^th LS and State Elections in 1967. The politics of the INC touched its nadir during the Emergency (June 25, 1975 - March 21, 1977). Despite bouncing back in the 7 ^thLS (1980), after a non-Congress coalition in the 6 ^thLS (1977) fell apart, and then securing an all-time high majority for any party till date in the 8 ^thLS (1984), the INC is yet to reclaim the country’s political commanding heights. The era of coalitions/minority governments from the 9 ^thLS (1989) to the 15 ^thLS (2009) played two distinctive roles: it checked one-party dominance and ushered in politics of accommodation. This was reversed with the re-emergence of a single-party rule by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 16 ^th and 17 ^th Lok Sabhas (2014 and 2019), under the premiership of Narendra Modi.

During this decade, disparate interests – religions, castes, classes; economic, social, geographical – were all sought to be coalesced under the rallying call: “One Nation, One...” (the second “One” periodically updated to incorporate a state or individual activity that would strike at India’s quasi-federal structure and diversity). The undercurrents that tugged India over the past 10 years are evident: the move towards a state that is majoritarian rather than plural; a government that favours big private capital to wider redistribution; and policies to benefit a few at the cost of the many. The election manifestoes of the prime contenders to power – the BJP and the INC – also delineate their ideological positions. The former promises to take forward its policies, propel India to the status of a developed country, and retains its sharp focus on cultural nationalism; the latter seeks a mandate to reverse divisive trends, with progress, equity, and inclusivity as the touchstones of its politics and policy-making.

Against this backdrop, Diego Maiorano, Senior Assistant Professor of Indian History and Politics at the University of Naples L’Orientale, comments on what the decade that has gone by meant for India’s political journey, its collective mindset, and its democratic institutions of state. He also flags the larger issues that the world’s largest electorate must contend with when it votes in the 18^th LS election, scheduled to be held in seven phases from April 19 to June 01, 2024.

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s manifesto for the 18th Lok Sabha General Election to be held from April 19 to June 01, 2024.

The Indian National Congress released its election manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. Reiterating the party’s stand on affirmative action, the document said that if voted to power, the party would remove the 50 per cent cap on reservations and also implement one-thirds reservation for women in Assemblies from 2025 and the Lok Sabha from 2029. Besides, it would hold a nationwide socio-economic and caste census and accord legal guarantee to MSP for crops as per Swaminathan Commission. The document can be accessed by clicking the link below.

“The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is the first party in India to have created a tradition of publishing a manifesto before every General Election – with a promise to implement various schemes once in power, and presenting these commitments to the public to seek their support in the electoral arena,” read the opening lines of the Manifesto. Among other things, it says that the DMK would seek to remove Section 361 of the Constitution providing special exemption to Governors from legal action.