- Monday, April 29, 2024
According to a survey, unemployment emerged as the primary concern for 27 per cent of the 10,000 voters polled, followed closely by the issue of rising prices at 23 per cent.
By: Shubham Ghosh
UNEMPLOYMENT and inflation rank as top worries among Indian voters for the upcoming general elections, yet prime minister Narendra Modi’s firm leadership, his Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Hindu nationalist platform, and India’s growing international influence are expected to bolster his chances for re-election, a recent survey has revealed.
The results underscore the uneven distribution of India’s remarkable economic growth among its 1.4 billion citizens, despite Modi’s decade-long efforts to boost domestic manufacturing and job creation.
The seven-phase general election in India will kick off on April 19 and the to result is anticipated to go in favour of Modi. The results will be announced on June 4, three days after the seventh and final phase is held.
Read: Indian voters prefer strong leadership, happy with Modi government: survey
According to a survey conducted by Lokniti-CSDS across 19 states out of India’s 28, unemployment emerged as the primary concern for 27 per cent of the 10,000 voters polled, followed closely by the issue of rising prices at 23 per cent, as reported by India’s Hindu newspaper.
Despite India being the world’s fastest-growing major economy and the fifth-largest globally, a significant 62 per cent of respondents expressed that job hunting had become more challenging over the last five years, coinciding with Modi’s second term as prime minister that commenced in 2019.
Read: Modi & BJP planning long-term election strategy in south India: Sandeep Shastri
Official data reveals that the unemployment rate climbed to 5.4 per cent in 2022-23, seeing an increase from 4.9 per cent in 2013-14, just prior to Modi’s ascent to power. Nearly 16 per cent of urban youth aged between 15 and 29 were unemployed in 2022-23, due to inadequate skills and a scarcity of quality employment opportunities.
While 22 per cent of those surveyed said “the most liked action” of the Modi government was the construction of a grand Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Ram on a site in the northern holy town of Ayodhya that was contested by minority Muslims, only eight per cent said it was their primary concern.
Modi inaugurated the temple in January, a move that has increasingly been used by his BJP in its election campaign to highlight the completion of a long-standing Hindu demand.
On Friday (12), Modi attacked the main opposition Indian National Congress party for refusing the invitation to the temple inauguration, just a week before the elections. “Ram devotees of the entire world have seen this arrogance of yours … this is an election game for you,” Modi said in a campaign speech in the federal territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The main opposition party had refused to attend the inauguration, saying it had been converted into a “political project” of the ruling party and that the consecration had been brought forward “for electoral gain”.
At least 48 per cent of the respondents said the temple would consolidate a Hindu identity, but a huge majority (79 per cent) said India belonged to citizens of all religions equally, not just Hindus.
Voters were also attracted by India’s growing international clout, with highly publicised events such as India’s presidency of the G20 last year, and New Delhi hosting the G20 leaders in September.
About eight per cent of the respondents said they liked the government’s push to create a better international image of India.
(With agency inputs)
