INDIA bloc: United by polls, divided by manifestoes on key issues

If the Opposition INDIA alliance is voted to power, will its government revive the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), repeal the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), bring in reservation for jobs in the private sector, abolish the Governor’s post or tweak its appointment process, scrap Article 356, and restore special status to Jammu and Kashmir? The answer to these questions will depend on which of the INDIA party’s manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls are you reading.

While the manifestoes of the Congress, DMK, Samajwadi Party (SP), RJD, CPI(M) and the CPI have multiple commonalities, they diverge on several counts, ideological or political. The Congress, the largest party in the INDIA bloc, and the DMK are silent on restoration of the OPS, while the SP, RJD, CPI(M) and CPI have promised its revival. Treading a cautious line, the Congress as well as the SP and RJD are silent on the CAA, but the DMK, CPM and CPI have pledged its scrapping.

In J&K, the six INDIA parties, whose manifestos are out so far, have promised restoration of statehood and holding of immediate Assembly elections. But the CPI(M) and CPI have gone a step further. The CPI has promised complete statehood “along with special status” while the CPI(M) says its “continuing commitment to the autonomous status granted by Sec 370 of J&K is reflected in its using every fora to defend the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”

On the issue of the private sector reservation, the Congress manifesto confines quota to educational institutions as it says “we will enact a law with reference to Article 15(5) of the Constitution to provide for reservation in private educational institutions for SC, ST and OBC”. The SP