BJP’s promise of ‘achche din’ has wrecked the common man’s kitchen budget, says Kharge

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday (August 26, 2026) targeted the Narendra Modi government over the rising prices of essential commodities, saying the “achche din” (good times) promised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had instead left the common person’s household budget battered by food inflation.

In a post on X, Mr. Kharge said the BJP was attempting to evade accountability through “distracting stunts and nonsensical talk”, but the Congress and the public would continue to raise questions over inflation.

“Take a look at the state of the common man’s kitchen during festivals — onion prices have risen by up to 59% in a year, ₹50-60 a kg in many cities; sugar ₹60-70 a kg, up to ₹72 a kg in some places; mustard oil over ₹200 a litre; food inflation 5.52%; wholesale inflation 9.78%,” Mr. Kharge said.

He said that after 12 years of BJP rule, “sometimes lentils, sometimes vegetables, sometimes oil, sometimes sugar” continued to put pressure on household budgets.

The Congress chief cited a comparison of retail prices in May 2013 and August 2026, based on figures attributed to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation and newspaper reports. 

The comparison showed steep increases across several kitchen staples. Tomatoes recorded the sharpest rise, from ₹17.50 a kg in May 2013 to ₹120 now — an increase of 585.71%. Onion prices rose from ₹23 to ₹73 a kg, or 217.39%, while atta increased from ₹21 to ₹69 a kg, a rise of 228.57%.

Among pulses, tur dal rose from ₹75 to ₹180 a kg, urad dal from ₹71 to ₹180 and chana dal from ₹50 to ₹125 — increases of 140%, 153.52% and 150%, respectively. Mustard oil rose from ₹102 to ₹263 a kg, while groundnut oil increased from ₹165 to ₹286. Milk prices rose from ₹36 to ₹85 a litre. Rice increased from ₹29 to ₹71 a kg, sugar from ₹37 to ₹84 and potato from ₹24 to ₹51. The Congress said several essential commodities had thus recorded price increases of more than 100% over the period.

The comparison comes amid the Congress’s continuing attack on the government over inflation and the cost of living. 

The Opposition party has accused the Modi government of failing to contain prices of essential commodities and said voters would “remember this and will not forgive”.