PDS DEALERS MAY PLAY SPOILSPORT IN ASSEMBLY ELECTION

PDS DEALERS MAY PLAY SPOILSPORT IN ASSEMBLY ELECTION

25-AUG-ENG 15

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA-------------------------PDS dealers of Bhojpur district can play an important role in Bihar assembly elections. More than 1600 dealers are connected to every family, due to which their support can affect the election results. Dissatisfied dealers are preparing to express their displeasure through votes regarding the demands of commission, honorarium and transparency. 1. PDS dealers can become spoilers of electoral equations 2. More than 1600 dealers, direct connection with every household 3. Will express displeasure through votes if demands are not met

Amidst the excitement of Bihar assembly elections, Public Distribution System (PDS) dealers are emerging as a new factor spoiling the equation of power.

More than 1600 PDS dealers are working in Bhojpur district itself, who are directly connected to every household. This is the reason that their support or displeasure can have a big impact on the election results in both situations.

PDS dealers have been agitating for years demanding increase in commission, honorarium and implementation of transparent policy. Despite raising their voice several times to the commission, district administration and secretariat, the dissatisfaction is deepening due to lack of concrete announcement till now.

If experts are to be believed, if the displeasure of the dealers is not removed, then the government may have to bear the brunt of it in the election results.

Experts say that dealers come from such a section of the society whose reach is from village to city to every house. They are directly connected with the public on the pretext of ration distribution. It is estimated that if every dealer influences only 10-10 votes, then about 5.10 lakh votes can have a direct impact on the electoral equation.

This figure is enough to decide the difference of victory and defeat on many assembly seats. Dealers of Bhojpur district, Ramanuj Singh, Birendra Singh, Sanjit Singh and Babita Kumari say that the government made promises from time to time, but no concrete initiative was taken on the ground. This is the reason that this time the dealer class is preparing to express its displeasure through votes.

Nand Kumar Ojha, President of the Dealer Association of Bhojpur district, says that the government still has time. If a concrete announcement is made on the issues related to PDS dealers before the elections, then the discontent can calm down to a great extent. Otherwise, this discontent is sure to become an opportunity for the opposition and a crisis for the ruling party.