LPG Price Rise: The public is upset due to the inflation of LPG! Is becoming the biggest election issue now?

LPG Prices: The inflation of LPG cylinders is emerging as the biggest problem for the Modi government and the Bharatiya Janata Party sitting in power at the Centre. The exit polls that have come for the Karnataka assembly elections are pointing in this direction. In the Karnataka elections, the opposition parties tried to make inflation and expensive LPG cylinders a major election issue, and if exit polls are to be believed, they seem to be getting success in that too. In Karnataka, Congress state president DK Shivakumar’s worship of LPG cylinder, performing its aarti indicates this.

Expensive cooking gas is becoming an election issue

In Rajasthan, the Congress government of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is providing LPG cylinders for Rs 500 to families taking LPG cylinders under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. While the price of LPG cylinder is Rs 1106. There are assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh after six months, but the Congress is already promising to give LPG cylinders for Rs 500 after forming the government. In Karnataka, the Congress in its manifesto has promised to give 2000 rupees to every woman under the Griha Laxmi Yojana, so that they can be given relief from rising inflation and expensive LPG cylinders. It is clear from this that the opposition has started besieging the ruling BJP government at the Center regarding the cost of LPG. At the end of this year, assembly elections are going to be held in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and apparently expensive cooking gas can become an election issue in these states as well.

Inflation of LPG cylinder hit the pocket

Before the Modi government came to power at the Center in 2014, the former UPA government used to give nine subsidized cylinders to every family in a year, which used to cost between Rs 425 and 440. In April 2014, the price of non-subsidised LPG cylinder used to be Rs 980. But now the common people have to spend Rs 1100 to 1130 for the same LPG cylinder. Means 150 percent more. The government is giving a subsidy of Rs 200 on every LPG cylinder only to the beneficiaries of the PM Ujjwala scheme, which will continue till March 2024. That is, the beneficiaries of the Ujjwala scheme have to pay Rs 900 for refilling an LPG cylinder.

People repented after expensive LPG

The government had told the Parliament in the last year 2022 that in the last five years, 4.13 crore beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana have not got a single LPG cylinder refilled. There are 7.67 crore beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana who have refilled only one LPG cylinder. Out of total 30.53 crore active LPG customers in 2021-22, 2.11 domestic LPG customers have not refilled a single cylinder. On 2 February 2023, the government told the Parliament that under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, per capita LPG cylinder consumption which was 3.01 cylinders in 2019-20 has increased to 3.68 in 2021-22. There has been a jump of 300 percent in the prices of LPG in the international market. But its full burden has not been put on the customers.

Opposition trying to cash in on expensive LPG!

Despite these pleas of the government, the common man is worried that the expensive LPG cylinder has ruined his household budget. On the other hand, the big issue of encircling the central government is on the hands of the opposition and it will try to capitalize on it in every coming election.

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