Where BJP and Congress agree, and where they differ

Indian Express

2 days ago

Written by Abhishek Priyadarshi and Ajit Phadnis
State elections have traditionally revolved around local issues, but are we now seeing national political faultlines play out at the state level? As Bihar gears up for its state elections, national parties and their alliance partners have begun to set the tone. If the past saw national elections influenced by regional agendas, it appears today that state elections are echoing themes of national politics.
To explore this pattern, we draw on a framework developed in our recent article in the Economic and Political Weekly. We examine how the BJP and Congress differ in the emphasis and positions on different issues, based on the analysis of election manifestos from the last four national elections (2009–2024).
Let us begin with those issues for which both parties give similar emphasis and share similar positions. Both the BJP and Congress embrace a market-oriented approach to economic growth. Their framing emphasises liberalisation and private investment as engines of development. At the same time, both parties acknowledge the need for state-supported welfare through schemes for housing, water, healthcare and rural development. This shows that welfare is not an ideological battleground between the parties, but a shared vocabulary.
On other issues, both parties give similar emphasis but have different positions, such as the historical narrative and sustainability. The BJP positions history as a civilisational continuum interrupted by foreign rule, calling for a historical reorientation rooted in ancient cultural consciousness. Meanwhile, Congress roots its historical narrative in the freedom struggle and the Constitution. Congress frames environmental issues as linked to social justice and livelihoods (forest rights, ecological protection), while the BJP aligns environmental issues with resource management and technological advancement (green energy, circular economy).
There are some issues where the BJP and Congress take similar policy positions, but differ in emphasis. BJP consistently allocates more space to infrastructure and technology as compared to Congress, reflecting its focus on projects like national highways and smart cities. Labour, however, is differently emphasised. Congress devotes more space to workers' rights and protections. Additionally, it prominently features themes like freedom and democracy, tying them with human rights, judicial accountability, and media freedom. In contrast, the BJP's engagement with these issues is less, but it puts more emphasis on law and order, national security, and administrative efficiency. From anti-terror mechanisms to NRC and police modernisation, its promises reflect a state-led idea of governance.
For select issues, the parties differ both in emphasis and positions. These are social justice, culture, and minority rights. Congress routinely refers to 'discrimination,' 'prejudice,' and the structural barriers faced by disadvantaged groups. BJP describes social groups as 'marginalised' or 'historically disadvantaged' and avoids attributing social disadvantage to discrimination. It is, however, interesting that the BJP employs the term 'discrimination' while describing the disadvantages faced by women. This difference in positioning reflects two differing approaches to social justice: One that sees inequality as a consequence of structural exclusion, and another that views it as a problem that economic opportunity can solve. Cultural discourse also reveals a sharp contrast. The BJP consistently gives higher importance to culture, presenting it as an instrument of political identity rooted in Hindu civilisational themes. Congress, by contrast, presents culture through multi-cultural terms, focusing on art, heritage, and inclusion rooted in the freedom movement and constitutional values.
At the outset of the Bihar election campaign, it is interesting to observe that several national-level similarities and distinctions have begun shaping the contours of the election campaign. Both alliances have rolled out a flurry of welfare promises, reflecting the convergence we observed in our framework. The NDA's positioning of free electricity — accompanied by a solar rooftop initiative — mirrors the BJP's idea of sustainability, even as both coalitions converge on welfare delivery. In Motihari, PM Modi and CM Nitish Kumar inaugurated a series of infrastructure projects — hallmarks of the BJP's growth agenda. Both parties also propose a Youth Commission and prioritise job creation.
A new flashpoint is the electoral rolls revision (SIR): The BJP frames it as an issue of administrative efficiency, while Congress views it as a democratic concern, reflecting their respective areas of emphasis. The BJP's reference to Operation Sindoor, launched from Bihar, reinforces its emphasis on strong national security — an approach consistent with its national manifesto. Cultural positioning in Bihar remains a clear point of divergence. The BJP's promise of a Sita Mata Mandir demonstrates its emphasis on culture, echoed in the proposed Ramayana Circuit and the Ayodhya–Sitamarhi train to promote religious tourism. Finally, the Mahagathbandhan's opposition to the Waqf amendment law mirrors Congress's emphasis on minority rights in national politics, marking yet another site of divergence.
The caste census emerges as a notable exception to the framework. Previously claimed by the Congress as part of their social justice platform, the BJP's implementation of the census signals a strategic recalibration that challenges the Congress's ownership of the issue. It will now be interesting to see how the parties develop nuanced positional differences around the caste census: Would the BJP position the caste census as a means for achieving economic justice and efficient governance, which would differ from the Congress's positioning of the caste census as an instrument for enhancing representation and reservation? The Bihar election may offer some insight into how the national discourse on the caste census is likely to unfold.
Abhishek Priyadarshi is a PhD Candidate and Ajit Phadnis is a faculty with the Humanities and Social Sciences Area at the Indian Institute of Management Indore