Despite the tall claims of improved economic growth (before the US-led financial crisis) in the country, unemployment remains a serious common concern.
BHOPAL: Despite the tall claims of improved economic growth (before the US-led financial crisis) in the country, unemployment remains a serious common concern in at least three Hindi-belt states — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
This is the finding of the ‘people’s manifesto’ prepared by the Dainik Bhaskar group based on the response of thousands of its readers. Besides unemployment, corruption, inflation, education, power crisis, drinking water and bad road network are the other issues topmost on people’s minds in these states.
In a novel gesture by any media group, Dainik Bhaskar — market leader in these states — had asked people to list seven top issues they think political parties must address in their election manifesto. People of all the three states where assembly elections will be held in November-December have highlighted unemployment as one single issue that concerns them the most.
Besides asking them to list the issues, people were also asked to list their criteria for choosing a political party or a candidate over another. They were not bound by any choices and were free to write the way they felt. Over one lakh people responded to the survey, youths dominating the respondents.
Incidentally, all the three aforementioned states are ruled by the Bhartiya Janata Party which rode to power defeating the Congress in 2003. The BJP had vowed to provide different and good governance when it came to power, but in all the three states corruption remains a major issue. Independent reports suggest in MP it has crossed the limits set by the Congress under Digvijay Singh’s 10-year long regime.
Bhaskar’s popular survey indicates that people still feel they would vote for an individual with a clean image and who stands for probity in public life. As regards a party, their vote would go to one which stands for development, corruption-free rule and fulfilling its promises.
abhilash@bhaskarnet.com
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