At least that is the usual order of the food chain. As recently as August, the humble onion was selling in New Delhi at a low 25 cents per kilogram. The steep increase has further angered residents already fed up with the chronic shortage of drinking water and power.
Onions are, after all, an essential ingredient in northern Indian food.
What's worse, the costly onion has driven up the prices of most other vegetables. It is no surprise then that onions have turned into a hot political issue. A recent poll shows it is set to lose to the opposition Congress party in Delhi and neighboring Rajasthan, two of the states under the rule of the Hindu nationalists. Of course, there are other issues that could ruin the BJP's political fortunes. Law and order has deteriorated sharply in both Delhi and Rajasthan, and the BJP-appointed governor in Madhya Pradesh has been accused of meddling in the affairs of the local Congress administration.