The 30% slide in international crude oil prices from four-year highs notched in early October could well benefit the chances of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in India's general elections, to be held in the spring.
In one of the world's largest economies, with a burgeoning urban middle class, pump prices can quickly become a hot-button issue, especially if they hit historic highs, as happened early last year.
