Gas subsidy signals inflation as key plank for upcoming elections

A fortnight after Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised from the ramparts of the Red Fort to minimise “the burden of inflation” on the people, the government on Tuesday announced a subsidy of Rs 200 on each cooking gas cylinder.

The government said the decision “will bring respite to households across the nation” and “ensure access to essential commodities at reasonable rates”.

Inflation significantly contributed to the defeat of Congress-led United Progressive Alliance in 2014, but it remained largely absent from the narrative of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The government’s move suggests that inflation could emerge as the critical plank