Inscrutable are the ways of the Indian voters.
They have proved wrong all the exit polls and the aspirations of the ruling party and also the opposition.
They have made Modi to shift from Ramjap to "Janata Janardan" the phrase he has used repeatedly in his post election speech. This is the greatest lesson the people wanted to teach the politicians of all the parties that they do not vote out of religious sentiments. This is the greatest moment of seperation of the church and the State which heralded secular policies and made people think rationally leading to the wonders in the fields science, economics, politics and even psychology in Europe. Defeat of BJP in Ayodhya demonstrates this. Even anti sanatana dharma comments of DMK did not cause any damage to the party in Tamil Nadu.
Another take away is a loss of face in Utter Pradesh. This was credited to brilliant strategies by Akhilesh Yadav. But in my opinion the chastising of the BJP is more on account of unemployment, and mishandling of worker migrants of the State during their COVID triggered return to homes and more importantly the wrath of farmers. It was definitely not a rejection of Yogi but that of Modi's anti-farmer policies.
Repeatedly lavelled corruption charges are the factors so far not considered as influencing the voters but this time it has the opposite effect.. The defeat of Kejriwal, Jagan Mohan Reddy, Pinaravi Ravi, earlier KCR, Punjab, Jharkand Soren, the Ajit Pawar group. It has even adversely affected the BJP.
People's verdict with regard to freebies has been ambivalent. In Andhra Pradesh, it had opposite effect but got dividends for the Congress in Telangana, for BJP because of free rice to 80 crore people. But they didn't believe humongous promises made by the Congress. The increase in Congress tally of seats this time can be attributed more to anti incumbency rather than their promises as opined by some national TV commentators.
A dedicated analysis is necessary to explain the resurgence of Congress and its allies.
Vitriolic speeches, fear mongering, divisive harangues, veiled threats, hyperbolic narcissism, misuse of the Govt institutions, unsubstantiated accusations, invocation of religious exploitation, fomentation communal, religious and regional differences have all fallen flat and failed to win over the voters.
The politicians should learn a lesson and henceforth stick to the genuine problems of the people, particularly their local needs instead of lecturing on global, national or non socio-,economic issues.
This election is also a rejection of divisiveness, corporatisation of farming, neglect and privatisation of health and education sectors, food inflatinary policies, open hobnobbing with the rich, hubris of power, growth without equity, political hooliganism and inconspicuously increased GST that affected even the poor and the lower middle class.
Though the election didn't result in a hung, Sharad Pawar's phone call to Nitish Kumar and the distrust of Chandra Babu Naidu in Modi whose earlier alliance went sour casts doubts on who will farm the next Govt. Nitish and Babu can together easily upturn the BJP's apple cart.
One thing that stands out in this election is that there is a lesson for every political party in the country without exception.
Dr M H Prasad Rao
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