A sense of Relief

1st June 2024 – around 8.00 pm. It’ was approximately at that time that I shrugged my shoulders and started watching something more interesting then the Exit Polls of Election 2024. The INDIA TODAY news channel, which I was watching, had just exclaimed ( that’s the nicest word you can use to describe how that chump Rahul Kanwal was jumping around like a cat on a hot tin roof), that the BJP would romp back to power with a tally of almost 400 seats along with it’s allies ( if you can call them that).

Under normal circumstances I would have felt dejected. This time I just shrugged it off. I went to bed as I normally do, at around 10 at night. I didn’t read much of the next day’s English newspapers as it was all about the Exit Polls. Later that evening my buddy messaged from across the continents, where he was at the moment, feeling despondent. I told him to chill.

By this time people were already poking holes in the Exit Poll results. For some reason I was so relaxed, unlike at any time over the last decade, when it came to Poll results. Why was I not moping in despondency? It was because that was exactly what the conspirators behind the poll results wanted to spread – despondency among the supporters of the Opposition. Somehow the Exit Polls seemed too ‘pat’ for it to be an accurate result. Also, West Bengal had just finished polling – how did they get these numbers so quickly? Too many questions that needed answers.

What made me believe in I.N.D.I.A ?

I am an amateur political follower and read political stories from many sides. I do admit that I stopped watching the so called ‘National New Channels’ many years ago. However, after watching different YouTube channels, I pared them down to just around four channels. Interestingly, I did not watch much of Dhruv Rathee, who became a phenomenon when he took on the establishment, before the last leg.

I have absolutely no time for Prashant Kishor as I just couldn’t trust a fellow who sold his soul to the highest bidder. Coming in at the last leg of the election and sprouting his ‘gyaan’ was surely a ‘give away’ of who he was now working for.

I had watched how every party who was in the INDIA coalition ensured that they followed a script. They only spoke about issues that resonated with the public. They did not get into a slanging match with Modi. In a short while, possibly after the second phase, the narrative changed and Modi and well not anybody but Modi himself, started to react to what the INDIA coalition was saying. The insults came out. The desperation was quite obvious.

The INDIA coalition included people I liked as politicians – Rahul, Tejaswi, Akhilesh, Pilot, Uddhav and Stalin. I will write elsewhere as to why I like these people. By the way, I have high regard for Nitin Gadkari, Yediyurappa, Chandra Babu Naidu and a few others in the opposition.

Rahul Gandhi

This guy was lampooned over the last decade while Modi was elevated to the status of a demi God. After the elevation to demi God by his supporters, Modi then elevated himself to the status of a non biological being – an Alien? or a God or whatever is not biological.

The BJP convinced a lot of people that Rahul was stupid. That he was an idiot and what they called ‘Pappu’. Now, it was obvious that all those who called Rahul, Pappu, had not taken five minutes to try and figure out the man himself. I was also not sure about how serious he was till he started to morph and then the idea of a Bharath Jodo Yatra (BJY) came about.

If people did not see the metamorphosis of Rahul during the BJY, they were not looking or they were the people who believed that Modi never lied and that eventually, he was a ‘non biological being’. I will write more about him and the yatra and his impact in another Blog. For now, I will just say that the hardcore supporters of Modi ( these are different from those who support the political party the BJP), believed that there was no opposition.

Rahul showed guts and a quiet determination to accommodate and teamed up well with Kharge. Kharge as INC President was the best thing that happened to the Indian National Congress. Kharge the politician handled the coalition dynamics well. Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka showed total deference to the senior politician that Kharge is. Rahul stuck to his core belief and he was the one who led the opposition charge. It was a blessing that Mamata remained in West Bengal. The opposition benefitted from Kejriwal in jail – not the way that most think but it was good that Kejriwal did not get the time to showcase himself as a taller leader than the others in the INDIA alliance.

Rahul is still learning. Unlike many seasoned politicians he doesn’t believe that he knows everything. However, it was he who put Modi on the backfoot with the Adani story. It was Rahul who killed the advantage Modi wanted to take as an OBC leader when he proved that the caste Modi came from was only given an OBC tag by the end of the 1990’s. The constitution in his hand was a great symbol that Modi could not shake off.

Results – Day of Reckoning – 4th June 2024

I woke up totally relaxed. I told my cousin, the previous evening, that the Exit Polls were all fake. I don’t know if he shared my belief but he remembered to remind me that I had called out the Exit Polls, when we spoke next.

I chose to watch the results on YouTube channels. So, I hooked on to Asia Net News on YouTube, with a bit of India Today. Then I moved from Asia Net to Mathrabhumi, on YouTube. The sight and sound of that fellow Rahul Kanwal, kept me away from India Today. It was only when the leads were starting to shape up that I spent a few minutes on India Today. Rahul Kanwal had started to keep quiet.

For those who have not watched election results on Malayalam channels, you have missed something. They are on the money, exciting and interestingly, unbiased. When I heard that Modi was trailing, I looked up and thanked the power above. Of course, I knew he would be pulled out of a loss. Smriti Irani losing was an absolute gem. By the afternoon, I could go down and have lunch in peace.

Though I had just hurt my back, I sat, lay down and watched. I took in, the feeling of relief. Yes, it was a feeling of relief. India and democracy would live to fight another day. Later that evening my cousin was reminded of a small bet – in a few minutes, Rs.1K was transferred via GPay. That was the icing on the cake.

Shashi Tharoor winning was a relief as his opponent is not someone who any electorate should elect as he is a vile character. The IPS officer lost in Coimbatore – I was not surprised. In fact that is what won me the Rs.1K 🙂

Relief

Yes, that evening as I sipped a Whisky with water, chilled with a cube of ice, I felt a great burden lift off my mind. I was glad that I believed in the Opposition. I am glad I did not allow myself to be led astray with pessimism. India and it’s poorer electorate showed that it knew what was good for India. I must say that the poorer voter taught those blinded with hatred that there was still a sense and brotherhood in the soul of this amazing country. However, lets not get carried away. The ruling coalition is still headed by two people who can easily break political parties and use the various government departments to their benefit.

I plan to write a series on my views on politics in India, over the next few weeks. Now, after June 4th, I do not watch too much of politics on YouTube – I need a break. Relief was the common sentiment of every well meaning Indian, that I spoke to. The one person who believed in this win, among my friends, was CP. No, I will not expand the name. The Urban voter needs to start to grow up – he cannot leave it to the rural voter to save his/her skin while he holidayed on voting day.

Jai Hind.