In most elections, analysts invariably pick up a few issues to explain how the voter will swing — the caste factor, prices and jobs. Consumer prices have been high for a long, never mind what the Wholesale Price Index shows. Job losses have been quite large and hurt all the more when they follow a period of high jobs growth, at least in the informal sector. And caste, a whole lot of analysts like Dipankar Gupta tell us is dead. So what made people vote for the Congress? And, LK Advani should wonder why he wasn’t able to convert any of this into votes or seats.
Shanti Gupta, New Delhi
