Even cursory glance at the promises spread in 45 pages of the manifesto indicates that the party has not made any promise to 69 per cent population that forms the proportion of the lower strata of society, mostly inhabitants of the rural expanse. The promises were to satisfy urges and concerns of the middle classes mostly dwellers of urban areas. It promises to cleanse Indian land, though gradually, of infiltrators and amend citizenship laws to ensure there is no infiltration in future.

Even though economic growth finds a space in the manifesto, it was missing from words of all four leaders who spoke as they devoted their words to the issues that had formed the basis of the BJP identity since 1989. There was no attempt to explain why the party could not keep up with its promise in the last election. It also saw no need to tell people what would be its correctives to amend and thus ensure fulfillment of its unkempt promises. One that had lured away young to vote for the party in total disregard to their class or caste orientation was related to employment generation to educated young. Instead numbers without employment, despite their education, swelled to staggering high. It was confirmed by the government sponsored agency hence leaving no scope for doubt.

Though the manifesto promises to double farm incomes in the next five years, not a word is mentioned by any of four speakers at the release function about the distress of farming community for the last two years. Not only their yields have been reduced but also realization of the government announced and promised minimum support prices. Traders offered much less.

The BJP leaders including the finance minister derided the Congress promise of regular monthly compensation to families of poor, but there is no reflection of similar concern for poor in the BJP campus. It is different matter whether the Congress will be able to keep its promise but the promise itself recognizes existence of 20 per cent population that needs some kind of solace. The BJP manifesto does not even recognize existence of poverty ridden humans.

Neither party has referred to massive increase in number of landless labour in search of work that can provide their families at least one meal a day. They are forced to look for alternative wok as farms, they were earlier working on, have been taken over for urbanization and construction of residences for nearby urban populations. Neither party has mentioned to undertake measures to stem evil flowing from urban ceiling act to make inroads for conversion of farms to feed the urban needs. This was essential measure but politicians are more concerned about compensation to land owners than over fate of landless workers who lose their livelihood due to conversions. Many such issues are directly affecting rural folks remain outside the political parties’ concerns.

The words by the Prime Minister at the manifesto release should make the political analysts to wonder why he has given up the fight he had undertaken to convert the Indian economy to be powerful one or convert the educated young Indians to be easy exportable work force to fill the vacuum of work forces in most developed nations due to advanced average ages of their existing work forces. In his reply to debate on the President’s address to parliament, first in his government, NaMo had referred to with great enthusiasm of his plans to provide skill training to Indian youth to enable them to work in any country of their preference. He had even given up efforts to make India easily accessible to set up the production units for foreigners. Instead he was reduced to sing paeans to the great Indian past.

For the first fifteen months after take over as the Prime Minister, he had built up his image as a man of different genre and full of new ideas to pull people out of their slumber of centuries to deliver a new nation. But that spirit and enthusiasm did not reflect in his brief address on this occasion. He mumbled his words without the original spirit that even regular pro-party journalist also ran their copies for their papers as if he was among ‘also spoke dignitaries’. His transition from a dynamic personality to an ordinary politician was perceptible to every critical mind. His words that he would come back now almost sound empty of meaning or boost confidence that he would be back in the saddle. Now it looks as if he would be attending to play his instrument in the orchestra to draw notes as the baton of conductor will move. He will not be playing his instrument to draw notes of his choice.

However the pertinent question is not whether he would be the main players but it is whether his orchestra would be given another opportunity to play with the main catalyst, his economic promise removed. Can or will the BJP in its old form and formula be voted back to power whether or not NaMo remains the main conductor? In the last election, he was not a personality, definitely not the kind that most analysts make him out today to be. But he had catalyst that played favourable tunes and is missing in this election. Geographic reading in mathematical terms tells of short fall of 140 seats. Where can he make from the shortfall?