A party political manifesto is supposed to impart distinct brand identity to a political party and its leadership so that voters, as consumers of ideas, can take their pick. So what distinguishes one party manifesto from another? It is a difficult question to answer when so much in most party manifestos appears in so many others. Consider the manifestos of the two major national parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Sonia Congress. Substantial portions of each manifesto overlap with the other. Indeed, it was not an unfair comment or an exaggeration when Arun Shourie dubbed the BJP platform. . .