The CPI(M) manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls called for the defeat of the ruling BJP and strengthening of the Left, a call which was also made in its manifesto for 2019, and alleged the secular character of democracy was affected both the times.
This time, the appeal in the manifesto, which was released on Thursday, emphasises that India is facing an “existential crisis”.
While the Left party stuck to its stand on several issues, the manifesto for the first time promised scrapping laws like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
In its manifesto in 2019, the Left party had called for the defeat of the BJP blaming the ruling party for "sharpening communal polarisation", and assault on all constitutional authorities. The manifesto this time gives a call to “every patriot” to ensure the defeat of the BJP and its allies.
Defending secularism featured prominently in the CPI(M) manifesto, and was a key issue in 2019 as well. Last time, they had flagged “attacks on democracy”, citing examples like functioning of the Parliament allegedly being curtailed, undermining the primacy of the CBI, and attacks on the right to freedom of expression, while this time the manifesto called for scrapping laws like the UAPA, National Security Act (NSA) and PMLA, as well as the contentious CAA.
The Left party’s poll promise came in the backdrop of a chief minister and a former chief minister from the opposition parties - Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Hemant Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) - being arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and allegations by several opposition parties of central agencies being misused by the Union government.
The CPI(M) promised a legal guarantee of a minimum support price (MSP) for farmers according to the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations. An MSP for farmers found place in the 2019 manifesto of the party as well, where they backed farmers’ right to sell their produce at an MSP which is at least 50 per cent higher than the total cost of production.
While calling unemployment the "biggest failure" of the Modi government, the CPI(M) promised inclusion of ‘Right to Work’ in fundamental rights, a law to guarantee employment in urban areas as well as unemployment allowance, filling up all vacant posts in government departments, doubling the MGNREGA budget and removing the 100-day cap. These issues were there in the party manifesto in 2019 as well.
While in 2019, the party had called for reservation for women in the Parliament and assemblies, this time, as a bill for reservation has already been passed, the party demanded that it should be implemented immediately.
The Left party’s manifesto also had a section on children, where they promised universalisation of the ICDS to cover all children from the age of 0-6 years, and for youths, they have promised a new “National Youth Policy”. Both the promises were also made in the 2019 manifesto too.
On economy, the CPI(M) called for reversing privatisation of the public sector, and called for a tax on the super rich. Both points were present in the 2019 manifesto as well.
While ‘right to free healthcare’, an issue that was there in the 2019 manifesto as well, found prominence, the CPI(M) accused the Centre of “criminal mishandling of the Covid pandemic”.
Removing death penalty from the statutes, a promise made by CPI(M) in its manifesto for at least last two times, found a place this time also.
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