Election results are always electrifying. Like the thunder and lightening before a sudden summer shower, they change the very feel. However much predicted, via psephology or otherwise, there always is a sense of throbbing tension, of anticipation, of surprise.
The election results of the five state assemblies this summer were almost foregone conclusions, yet there were twists such as the surprise Tamilnadu sprang. Hence there is always a lesson or two to learn in every election season.
In 2025, i, too, travelled from 'Gangotri to Gangasagar'. Every second of that journey is a forever imprint on my mind. Yes, I do vividly remember the drive from Kolkata railway station to Gangasagar, and back. The taxi fellow was what I would call the 'chota bhadralok'.
What I mean is that the young man was an extremely aware person. He cared for his state's progressive image. He knew his gracious behaviour would matter in creating the "amar shonar Bangla" effect.
He was politically extremely voluble, had defined opinions he could discuss intelligently, the typical cultured person one typically associates with Bengal, the 'bhadralok'. I call him "chota" because he came from the lower middle class, unlike the richie-rich zamindar bhadralok.
His opinions were quite some crystal gazing for the Bengal mood, best reflected in the aware middle class/upper middle class anger at the GOAT Messi fiasco at the Salt Lake stadium. Equally palpable was the frustration felt at the unmistakable illegal immigration, nay, invasion. No wonder, ehe election result in Bengal was as obvious as the Assam or the Baramati win!
Praiseworthy are the efficient efforts of the election commission machinery who had the most uneviable duty, what with record break voter turnout, not to forget the usual Opposition allegations. The BJP as usual worked very hard, and systematically, for its victory. The party played its cards most astutely. What was lost in the women's reservation bill debates on the floor of the parliament was thousand fold retrieved during the election result counting! Talk of a twist in the tale!
Pratima@ I absolutely admire the stamina and the dedication of both, Modiji as well Dr.Tharoor. Both tirelessly combed the respective constituencies in the blazing heat, even when both are in their mid-seventies. Admirable commitment!
Both of them are clearly highly respected in their respective constituencies, albeit the thunderous response his rallies received in all the five states would mean that, for Modiji, the whole of India seems to be a constituency! Most significantly, this time round, Modiji, dressed the Bengali way for the victory speech, did never ever, not even once, mention "Didi, oh, Didi" in his speeches. Wonderful learning from faux-pas!
Quote of the day: "Victory is always possible for a person who refuses to stop trying, " says Napoleon Hill.
Word of the day: bhadralok Bhadralok (Bengali for "gentlefolk") is a social class in Bengal, emerging during the British rule (the nineteenth century) as an educated, upper-caste, and elite Bengali community, marked by both wealth as well as cultural, intellectual, and refined behavioral standards.
Nota Bene: Despite open attacks by Madhu Kishwar, and her spoofs with proof as she insisted, nothing shifted, altered, changed in Modiji's popularity! Perceptions once formed, never ever waver!
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