Apart from the usual suspects - the businessmen, the matkawallahs, the various mafias and so on - who is funding these Lok Sabha elections?
I have a theory that during every election there are a certain bunch of people who are targetted to fork out the lolly. How come? Well certain commodities suddenly become scarce and their price sky-rockets just before and during election time and come to normal soon after. Like it could be onions one election or potatoes another. Someone more diligent can check whether I'm right or wrong by finding out if any commodity price went up before any particular election and why it happened. I don't know whether this is a nation - wide phenomenon but in Goa at least I believe that this time it is the liquor barons who will be the paymasters.This is because they have created an artificial scarcity of liquor. As a result in the most simple taverns a small pint of beer which used to cost Rs 25 NOW COSTS Rs 40 OR MORE. Imagine the price at upmarket bars. The excuse is that the Election Commission has announced that it would have spot checks at major outlets to ensure that candidates do not lift large stocks of liquor to satisfy the thirsts of dehydrated voters. So the wholesalers said that to be on the safe side they just would not supply any booze to anyone. This is all hooey. Booze which is a commodity with inelastic demand will and must be sold. Drinkers will and must drink. The only thing is that the prices have been hiked and it is sold on the quiet. The question is - who will be the beneficiary of the booze-wallahs munificence. Cheers or rather no cheers Augusto -- Augusto Pinto 40, Novo Portugal, Moira, Bardez, Goa, India E [email protected] or [email protected] P 0832-2470336 M 9881126350
