Pallavan Luxury Buses

As I was travelling on my way back to Bangalore after my usual weekend trip, my dad dropped me at the Saidapet Bus Stand. I got onto an A18 "sogusu perundhu", or luxury bus.
I have never consciously differentiated between a luxury bus and a regular bus or for that matter an AC bus (a ticket in a luxury bus might be Rs. 8 to a place X from Y and in a regular bus it might be Rs. 5 and it might be Rs. 15 in an AC bus).

I would think a bus is a bus, and why should it matter. To me, taxi was a luxury, auto was a semi-luxury and a bus was something which was the cheapest form of transport. Earlier in buses, they used to have green colored pallavan buses which were of 2 types - LSS and regular. LSS used to be a limited stop service and tickets were slightly costlier.

Anyways,as I was purchasing my ticket, I saw a lady (who is definitely below poverty line, judging from her attire).

She told the conductor

"Enna ya, ippo ellam verum sogusu perundhu dhaan vidarenga. Romba kashtama iruku. Sadha bus varave matengudhu. Ethana nerama nikka vendiruku?"
(Translate: "These days the bus company is only running luxury buses and there are hardly any regular buses to be seen even if we wait for a long time")

When I heard that conversation was the first time I really felt that there are so many people in this country to whom a Rs. 3 increase in a bus fare could really cause a pinch and make them pick a fight with the conductor. For these people these buses are really a "luxury". To me it made no difference what bus it was. But to her, and the countless people like her it does.

Topic apart, what I dont understand however, is that the last UPA government had one of the worst streaks of inflation and petrol price hikes etc. How did they get re-elected in spite of that, and that too with such overwhelming majority (given the considerations)? :)