In India, we have accepted the party system for our election process, but we have not evolved the responsible practice of posting a shadow cabinet in state assemblies and Parliament. And, therefore, the exact positions of the main parties on all areas of vital importance to the nation do not get properly spelt out. The little fragmentary knowledge that comes our way as citizens is through the election-time party manifestos. But rarely is there any close correspondence between the articles of a manifesto and the main arguments put forward during the elections. Hence predicting with any great precision how a given party will govern the country is not easy in India.