UP Assembly Elections: A possible verdict on Modi's demonetisation drive

Uttar Pradesh is India’s most populous state and it sends 80 lawmakers to the Lok Sabha. Its Assembly election would be a first indication of success or failure of state and Union government policies. 

And, a possible verdict on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s demonetisation drive. People would also decide whether Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has finally come out of the shadow of his father, uncles and other senior Samajwadi Party leaders. 

It will also be a test for Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party, as her party performed badly during the 2014 Lok Sabha poll. In the third of a five-part series, Business Standard analyses the performance of the state on some economic and social parameters.