As key states prep for elections, the biggest battle may play out in Uttar Pradesh – not just because of its size but also because of the complex push and pull between 3 fulcrums; will religious identity be the single biggest factor or will sharper caste lines be drawn as the people of Uttar Pradesh choose their candidates. Or the third one, economics.
What hasn’t been front and centre as a topic of conversation while talking about UP may become the simmering issue of discontent.
Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh emerged as the poorest states in India, according to Niti Aayog’s own Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report. Youth Unemployment for the state stands at 23.2% in 2021.
Mitali Mukherjee speaks with Professor Manoj Agarwal who heads the Department of Economics at the University of Lucknow and Siddharth Kalhans, State Correspondent, Business Standard, Lucknow, to break down what this means politically.