ABSTRACT
In the parliamentary system of government, manifestos constitute and represent an important aspect of electoral politics. The object of analysing party manifestos is to understand the approach as well as responses of national political parties on various complex issues. A manifesto is statement of a party’s policy on a range of issues. Political parties in India and elsewhere also try to derive electoral support not only through their image but also through the articulation of concrete policy proposals. Political parties in India have been playing an important role in directing the policies of the government. Most of the policies and programmes are part of the party’s election manifesto which they promise to carry out, if elected. However, in the literature on political parties in India, little attention has been given to the manifesto both as an input to the policy process, to the politics of its formulation as well as a comparative perspective on the issues and approach of different national political parties.
