Lok Sabha elections 2024 pre-poll survey: From unemployment to inflation, here are key issues in the upcoming polls

Lok Sabha polls 2024: Price rise and jobs are of utmost concern to voters in India, the world's largest democracy, which is gearing up for the general election in the next few days, a pre-poll survey revealed. The seven-phase Lok Sabha election will kick off on April 19 and will continue till June 1. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is campaigning vehemently to retain power for the third term on the trot, the Opposition INDIA bloc is making  an all-out effort to defeat the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led ruling dispensation.

Has the growth of India’s economy translated into domestic jobs?

Notably, the key issues  resonating in India's General Election 2024 are mainly unemployment and inflation. The CSDS-Lokniti pre-poll survey revealed that more than half of the respondents expressed concerns pertaining to price rise and less number of jobs in the country.

As many as 62% of the respondents asserted that getting jobs has become more difficult. Only 12%  said that getting a job has become easier.

Jobless young India, too educated to be employed?

As per the survey,  67% of Muslims said getting a job has become difficult while 63% of Hindus from Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and 59% of the Scheduled Tribes (ST) also expressed the same sentiment.

Fifty seven percent of the upper caste respondents also said jobs were difficult to get, while 17% of them responded finding a job was easier.

An overwhelming  majority of voters also said price rise has affected their pockets severely, with 71% saying prices of the commodities have increased. While 76% of poor said inflation was hitting them, a similar percentage of Muslims too had the same opinion.

Unemployment crisis: 83% of jobless Indians are youth, says ILO report

On the quality of life, about 48% indicated it has become better, while 35% said it has worsened in the past five years. Only 22% of people said they were able to save money from their household income while 36% said they could fulfill their needs, but were not able to save money.

Fifty five per cent of the respondents said corruption has increased in the country in the past five years. While 25% blamed the Centre for corruption, 16% blamed the states, the survey pointed out.

The Lokniti-CSDS Pre-Poll survey 2024 collated responses from 10,019 people across 19 states.