A story in manifestos: How Congress is shedding its 'Muslim party' tag

An analysis of Congress' election manifestos since 1937 shows how the party evolved from being a secular to a 'Muslim' party and how it is now trying to shed that tag

Speaking at a conclave organised by a leading media house in March 2018, Sonia Gandhi admitted how the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had “managed to convince people of India that Congress is a Muslim party”. Her observations have undoubtedly shaped the Congress manifesto for the 2019 general elections. The Congress now no longer talks of ‘Muslims’ – much like 2014, the word isn’t mentioned even once in its 2019 manifesto. Religious minorities have been clubbed along with linguistic minorities. Of the 11 promises made to this group – two directly pertain to protecting the rights of religious minorities. One of