Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Plea for Standard Election Manifesto Format
· India · The Hindu, Indian Express
The Supreme Court agreed on Wednesday (September 16, 2026) to list a petition seeking a standard format for election manifestos of political parties in New Delhi. Appearing before a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, petitioner-advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay argued that the current lack of uniform guidelines leaves manifesto layouts entirely to party discretion. The petition contends that manifestos serve as published vision documents and should therefore be legally enforceable to ensure political accountability. A prior 2022 petition by the same advocate had urged the Ministry of Law and Justice and the Election Commission of India to frame guidelines against irrational poll promises. Chief Justice Kant stated that the court will list the petition for hearing.
Why it matters
A standard manifesto format could hold political parties legally accountable for their campaign promises and rein in unfeasible freebies during elections.
Read the original report — The Hindu
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