Demonetisation won crucial UP for BJP, but litmus test in five states soon

Oppn leaders believe people kept their faith in the Modi govt despite the hardships owing to demonetisation because of hope in his ability to deliver

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, once an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a supporter of demonetisation, now says Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to ban high-value currency notes was driven primarily by political objectives rather than economic ones. 

In the national capital last week to cobble together an anti-BJP front, Naidu said that the note ban had led to an economic “vicious circle” of lack of growth and poor investor interest.

The Telugu Desam Party, which Naidu leads, was an ally of the Modi government when the Prime Minister announced demonetisation on November 8, 2016. In fact,