Foreign Policy in Indian Elections: A Critical Analysis of BJP and Congress Manifestoes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an interview that elections in India are festivals of our democracy. It is true that across the country, people are in a festive mood and are excited about exercising their fundamental right, i.e. to vote for a candidate of their choice. An avid political commentator had put it in different, slightly derisive words, “Indian politics is electionised not much democratised”. His observation pointed to elections around the year in some part of the country or the other. As India has three-tier governance – Centre, states and local governments, elections for any one of the tiers is happening somewhere in the country throughout the year. Obviously, several issues and features of Indian politics come up during elections. The issues that matter to voters, and the features, mainly the organising principles, are manifested during elections. But do foreign policy issues figure in the campaigns of political parties, at least the national parties? From the re
