MP Assembly polls: Heart of India gearing up to vote for real job prospects

Lies, damned lies, and statistics: Why is unemployment in the state a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma?

At the Dhanela cut in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh (MP), located approximately 1,109 kilometres to the south along the country’s longest route, National Highway 44 from Srinagar to Kanyakumari, a sudden influx of politicians with grand promises of progress and employment is something that 23-year-old fast-food seller Raj Kumar witnesses every day.

While Kumar listens to every politician who approaches him, he hardly places much stock in their promises.

“Nothing they say is true. I’ve been deceived by them once, but I won’t let it happen again,” a disillusioned Kumar says while gingerly dunking the French fries into sizzling