Price rise major focus of Assembly poll campaign: Delhi BJP

NEW DELHI: Attacking the Congress government for escalating prices of fruits, vegetables and essential commodities, BJP today said price rise will be a major issue for the party during the campaigning for the December 4 Assembly polls.

Delhi BJP President Vijay Goel said the city government's "mismanagement" of wholesale food and vegetable markets had triggered the rise in the retail prices of onions, tomatoes, potatoes and other vegetables.

"Delhi is reeling under the burden of mismanagement by the Congress government which has resulted in soaring prices of all essential commodities. Onion prices have been hovering around Rs 80-90/Kg. Now, tomatoes are selling at around Rs 100/Kg. Potatoes are available at about Rs 50/Kg," he alleged.

Accusing the government of "total failure" in containing prices, Goel wondered why the rates had not gone down before Diwali as promised by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

"The Chief Minister had assured that the prices would come down before Diwali, but the prices remained high and people of Delhi were left high and dry. For years, Congress has been fooling people with false assurances of curbing price rise," he said.

Tomato prices continued to remain high at up to Rs 80/Kg at retail markets in the national capital mainly due to tight supplies from Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Onions, too, are expensive at Rs 60-70/Kg while other major green vegetables are ruling between Rs 35 and Rs 90 per kg.

Mother Dairy, which has about 400 retail outlets in the national capital region, is selling tomatoes at Rs 62/Kg and onions at Rs 58-60/Kg. Two varieties of potatoes are being sold at Rs 24 and Rs 44 per kg.

However, local vendors are charging Rs 70-80/Kg for tomatoes and Rs 60-70/Kg for onions.