With the conclusion of final round of polling, candidates are tense but the voters are eased. For, the price of vegetables had started coming down to the respite of people.
Inflation coupled with the state polls in Chhattisgarh skyrocket the price of vegetables and fruits in the state market early this month. In the first fortnight of the election month, the price of vegetables increased 50 to 70 per cent.
While a kilogram of onion cost Rs 8 on November 1, the price went up to Rs 16 a kilogram by the mid of month. Inflation was one of the issues that BJP used to grill the Congress in the state elections—the polling for which was concluded in two phases on November 20.
The electorate fate of 1066 candidates contesting from 90 assembly constituencies in the state had been sealed in the electronic voting machines (EVMs) till December 8 when it would be opened for counting. The candidates are tense but the people are much relieved for another reason.
“The price of vegetables had started descending and had come down by about 50 per cent to the price that existed when the election process started in the state early this month,” Ravi Sahu, who runs a vegetable outlet in Shankar Nagar area of state capital, said. The inflow of vegetables from the rural areas had started that could be one of the reasons, he added.
In all, 1082 trucks and 652 mini-trucks across the state were acquired for election works. This severely disrupted the transportation of vegetables and fruits from the interior areas to the main markets. Since the supply was restricted, the demand increased and hence price of vegetables and fruits increased.
Following the completion of polling and return of polling parties, the vehicles acquired by the administration were released on Friday and Saturday. “The vehicles are put on work and the transportation of vegetables and fruits to the main market has become normal,” Sahu added.