Manifesto Readability in India: Populist vs. Complex Approaches to Political Communication

This study evaluates the readability of 2024 Lok Sabha election manifestos from India's three major political parties: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Indian National Congress (INC), and Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M). Utilizing the Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level formulas, the analysis assesses the accessibility of welfare, development and infrastructure, and national security sections within these manifestos. Findings reveal that all manifestos exhibit moderate to high complexity levels, potentially limiting comprehension among average voters. The BJP's manifesto is consistently the most complex across all sections, while the INC and CPI(M) present relatively more accessible texts subsequently making their approach less populist in their election manifesto documents. The study underscores the need for simplifying political communication to enhance democratic engagement.