Five states go to polls: A report card on their current assemblies

It’s election time in five states. Lakhs of crores of rupees are spent, both by the government to hold the elections and by the political parties to woo voters.

Past promises are recalled, fresh promises are made. War of words crop up every now and then and, sometimes, there’s physical violence. Religious hatred and communal acrimony become the main narrative, with both the ruling party and the Opposition levelling allegations against their rivals.

However, in an ideal democracy, what should be the narrative is the performance of the incumbent MLAs. Were adequate numbers of assembly sessions held? Were questions asked? Did the Bills undergo a rigorous examination process? Did the governments take up the ordinance route to skip the perusal process?

As Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Mizoram get set to vote in new assemblies this month, The Federal presents the key numbers that should help voters make informed decisions. How have the incumbent governments performed since 2018? Here is a report card.