In CNBC-TV18’s “Election Exchange” series, Santia Gora explores how this rising cost of living has frustrated the people of Bihar, becoming a significant factor in their voting decisions.
Priyanka Kumari, a 38-year-old housewife living in Arrah, 50 kilometers from Patna, describes the growing challenge of running her household as costs outstrip her husband’s income. She emphasizes that inflation is a crucial issue for her and her peers. “Rations have become very expensive these days. The price keeps increasing and the quantity keeps decreasing. Inflation is the biggest problem for women like me,” says Priyanka.
The opposition seized on this discontent, with RJD’s Tejaswi Yadav criticizing the BJP and JDU government for their failure to control rising prices, saying: “They have done nothing for the poor.” They receive 0 marks out of 100 for their performance.
In response, the NDA attributes Bihar’s economic woes to the legacy of previous administrations. Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary and BJP leader said, “Lalu Prasad Yadav has left the state in a very bad state, which is why we need time to rectify this. »
Although the NDA campaign promises to resolve these issues with more time, skepticism remains. Many point out that BJP ally Nitish Kumar has been chief minister since 2005 without significantly improving the situation.
Along with inflation, voters are also concerned about rising unemployment, restrictive Agniveer program rules and corruption. These factors, along with inflation, are major concerns in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.
However, experts suggest that while these economic issues are significant, caste dynamics will still largely influence voting patterns.
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