Arun Pandey has a store of mobile phone accessories on Rampath in Ayodhya that comes under the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat. His business had not been doing well but he bought a refrigerator for the store in 2023 and has since started stocking cold drinks and bottles of water for sale. Recently, he has also started to sell photos and replicas of the new Ram temple
Name & Age: Arun Pandey, 32
Education & Profession: Intermediate; business
Family & Place: Wife, daughter, two brothers, both married; Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh
Do you earn more or less, compared with 2019?
About 80 per cent more than 2019
What things does your house now have that it did not in 2019?
I bought a motorcycle two years ago
What things does your neighbourhood have that it did not in 2019?
The road in front of my house was dilapidated but it was widened and repaired last year. We get electricity 24 hours now
Do your children go to school? If it’s a govt school, then has there been any change in standards/ infrastructure?
Yes, my daughter goes to a private school in Ayodhya
Do you encounter more corruption or less in your daily life? Can you cite from personal experience areas where you are directly affected by corruption?
It is more but this is how things are here. We cannot escape it if we want to move forward and do some business. Narendra Modi is a good Prime Minister but he cannot keep an eye on everything. However, he should know this and try to eradicate corruption
Faizabad votes on May 20