Fuel prices will be reviewed if BJP is voted to power in Rajasthan: PM Modi assures the poll bound state

Amidst the high decibel political campaigning in poll bound Rajasthan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday assured the fuel prices in the state will be reviewed if BJP is voted to power. He compared the fuel prices in neighbouring BJP ruled states with the Congress ruled Rajasthan.

"In the neighbouring states of Rajasthan, there is a BJP government. There, petrol is ₹97 per litre. But the Congress government in Rajasthan sells petrol at higher prices. I give a guarantee that after the BJP government is formed, the prices of petrol and diesel will be reviewed... This will give relief to the poor and middle-class people”, said PM Modi while addressing a public rally in Pali.

Soon after Covid-19, petrol prices were hiked for a record 78 times and diesel prices were hiked 76 times between 2021 and 2022. In November 2021, Centre had however reduced petrol prices by Rs 5 per litre and diesel by Rs 10 per litre amidst growing clamour of “anti poor policies”. Several BJP ruled states had given additional rebate from state coffers on fuel prices, more compared to non-bjp ruled states. For the time being three state-owned fuel retailers -- Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) -- which control roughly 90 percent of the market, have kept petrol and diesel prices unchanged for over 19 months in a row as of now.

Targeting the poor and middle class, PM Modi has thus announced reduction in fuel prices in Rajasthan if BJP is voted to power, hinting at a possible rebate from state side and not necessarily an over all reduction in fuel prices in the country.