As voters in Jharkhand head to the polls in the first phase today, and those in Maharashtra along with the remaining voters in Jharkhand prepare for the polls on November 20, one question looms large: whom to trust? Rival parties and groups have released manifestos — some jointly, some separately — filled with promises almost too good to believe. These manifestos offer a range of attractive freebies, such as agricultural loan waivers, free bus travel for women, generous old-age pensions, free medical insurance, a caste census, reservations exceeding the 50% cap set by the Supreme Court, and special payments for women. Yet, if these parties win the elections, they will face significant challenges in fulfilling these promises, as state coffers are hardly equipped to cover such costs. The credibility of political parties has waned to the point where few voters take these pledges seriously.
In the public’s view, election manifestos are issued solely to sway voters, who know they will hear about these promises again only when the next election comes around, by which time new promises will be made and the old ones forgotten. Many parties, too, seem to believe manifestos play a limited role in swaying elections. Otherwise, the BJP would not have emphasised seizing land from “infiltrators” in Jharkhand; instead, it could have simply highlighted the shortcomings of the current Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led government and pledged a better governance model. In Maharashtra, there would have been no need for the Prime Minister to echo the UP Chief Minister’s divisive slogan, hinting at a certain demographic’s “strength,” when everyone knows the implicit meaning behind it.
In Jharkhand, the JMM, which currently holds power, could have acted on many of the promises it now includes in its manifesto. For example, if reserving 33% of government jobs for women is feasible, why was this not attempted while it held office? Similarly, the BJP’s own 25-point manifesto in Maharashtra lists initiatives it could have implemented, given its control over the state’s mechanisms. The Prime Minister also did himself no favours when he suggested that if the BJP’s coalition returns to power, it will enjoy the “full blessings of the Centre,” a statement that verges on bribing the electorate. If parties truly believe in the validity of their manifestos, they should allow voters to judge these promises on their own merits, rather than muddying the waters with divisive or defamatory statements.
