Every time fuel prices shot up shows the political temperature. Now it is BJP's turn as the party at the receiving end. Just corned the Congress led UPA government when BJP was in the opposition. Now opposition take on the government on the streets and online on surging prices. The government has passed the buck to the oil companies, Indian oil and the like, for the hike. Saying that fuel prices are not government regulator anymore and so can't be blamed. It is up the oil companies, the government argument goes, to fix prices based on global prices of cruel oil which is used to refine petrol. Do the numbers bear out. If you look at the number, it is actually showing that global fuel prices are dropping but in India the rising. Global fuel prices has dropped 15% from January of last year to January of this year but in the same period fuel prices in India have gone up anywhere between 7-11%. Crude fall from about 60 dollars a barrel in 2019-2020 to 43 dollars a barrel in 2020-21. In the same period the prices went up from Rs.73 to Rs. 80. This is the part of wider trend over the last two years. In fact, central and states taxes make up almost 60% of fuel prices. The centre almost 37% of tax and state government is about 23% tax on fuel. Not only that the centre has been steadily increasing its tax or its excise on fuel. All of these because many people pointed out the tax from fuel is a very important contributor to a income of centre and the states.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee announced the slogan for her party for Bengal assembly elections. Saying "Bengal wants it's own daughter" . In his rally today in Bengal PM Modi really countered that slogan by asking why the real daughters of Bengal don't have access to drinking water? By countering Mamta on her own turf PM Modi is making it clear that he will lead the Bengal charge. PM's decision along with the BJP to conduct 1500 rallies is a move by BJP to put their every resource in the battleground Bengal. There's no doubt that PM Modi is popular in Bengal but also there's no doubt that Mamta Banerjee is putting the fight for her life. Neither side can afford to loose this election.