Assembly polls 2018: Low food inflation rate reflects rural distress

All five states going to polls have managed to keep the inflation rates low. Though Madhya Pradesh (MP) and Telangana saw the rate of price rise going above the national average in October, none of them had an inflation rate of over 4 per cent. Four per cent is the mean of the inflation rate between which the Reserve Bank of India is statutorily required to keep the inflation rate. While all these may sound good to the middle class and affluent sections, the low food and beverages inflation rate reflect rural distress. Though the wholesale price index is better to gauge mirror farm prices, the consumer price index inflation rate provides a broad idea. 

While Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh had deflation in this segment in line with the national average in October, MP and Telangana had an inflation rate of below 1 per cent. Only Mizoram had an inflation rate of slightly above 1 per cent.