Narendra Modi and Bhagwati focus more on growth than distribution. Sonia and Sen focus more on distribution than growth. Yet, all four clearly favour both growth and distribution. The differences are on how to optimise the mix. These differences are debated with great heat. But the big picture remains that Sen, Bhagwati, Congress and the BJP all believe in both growth and distribution.

Both have neglected sanitation, rural education and tribal progress, despite lip service. Both believe in giveaways. Neither believes in small government. BJP chief ministers like Raman Singh and Shivraj Singh Chouhan have expanded the role of the state in giving cheap food and mass food procurement. Raman Singh announced a massive bonus to his state's farmers of Rs 270 a quintal for rice procurement, prince of all election freebies. Read More

Jyothi Shankaran

    Jyothi’s last role was as Senior Editor with the business news channel Bloomberg TV India. He also worked as News Editor at business-standard.com, the online version of the business newspaper Business Standard. Jyothi is a chemical engineer from the Regional Engineering College, Srinagar.