LOWER POLLING DUE TO RURAL DISTRESS

Voting trends in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls clearly demonstrate that bigger states had lower polling percentage, which can be singularly attributed to rural distress and agrarian crisis. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s loss in the assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh was primarily due to this reason. The farmers are in distress not only due to low remunerative prices for crops, but also by rising input costs, debt, vagaries of weather and stray cattle menace. The move to publicise schemes such as PM-AASHA, PM-Kisan, e-NAM, soil health cards, crop insurance and the new pension scheme for farmers have failed at all levels. Hence, a low turnout. This is food for thought.

Rajiv Bhoolchand Jain,

Zirakpur