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Veg prices rise, Punjab votes fall
Published on Sat, Feb 10, 2007 at 08:52, Updated on Wed, Jun 20, 2007 at 15:10 in 
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Jalandhar (Punjab): As the Punjab elections draw closer the rising prices of vegetables, particularly onions may effect the people’s vote.
The vegetables are and fruits are beyond the reach of most customers in Pratabhbagh sabzi mandi. Papaya is priced at Rs 15 per kg, Apples at Rs 60 per kg and bananas at Rs 25 per dozen, and more importantly, onions at Rs 22 per kg.
“The poor man can't buy onions or ginger. How will his kitchen run?” says a resident Surinder Sharma.
While another resident Usha Kakaria adds, “Onion is out of reach for the common man.”
The harassed retailers insist that it is not their fault. They blame the government for onions being exported to neighboring countries.
“If you stop exporting onions to Pakistan they will automatically become cheap here,” says a shopkeeper, Devinder Kumar.
These are trying times for the ruling party politically. The Congress has promised food subsidies for below poverty line (BPL) families in its manifesto. However, the party's nominee for the Jalandhar Central seat doesn't have much of an answer.
“This is a tough question to answer,” says a Congress nominee for Jalandhar Central, Tejinder Bittu.
The Akali Dal that has also promised attractive food subsidies if it comes of power is exploiting the issue to the hilt.
Says general secretary, Shiromani Akali Dal, “The common man can't get three meals a day.”
Onion is a dangerous vegetable to handle. The more you peel it, the more it makes you weep. Hence it is playing a mischievous game with the ruling Congress. And not only that, in 1998 the BJP government in Delhi paid a heavy price for raising onion prices.
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