Who is taking responsibility for the Congress’ loss in the Haryana Assembly election? And for getting the verdict wrong? Certainly not the Congress. Nor the opinion poll makers, the TV news anchors and their experts, or most of the news media.
Congress is busy sulking and blaming ‘Modi magic’ on battery charges of the EVMs; the pollsters are in hiding or looking for new jobs while TV anchors and the newspapers are blaming the exit polls—‘BJP 1, NC-Cong1, Pollsters 0,’ reads The Times of India headline.
YouTuber/journalist Ravish Kumar is blaming the ‘Modi media’ for failing to highlight the BJP’s “good work” in the state for which it has won an unprecedented third term; India Today’s Rajdeep Sardesai said he will never predict another election result; Yogendra Yadav admitted to having made a mistake but can’t explain why.
That leaves us with the voters of Haryana and the BJP—together, they have left the Congress eating jalebis with humble pie, while the others wipe ketchup off their faces.
The public was confused: how come almost everyone got it wrong? Nobody seems to know.
Also read: Haryana lesson for Congress—stop relying on old guard who can no longer win you elections
Opinion to exit polls—all spoke in one voice
After the results, much has been said on TV, and we have read reams in newspapers about how and why Haryana was lost and won
It all makes perfect sense now: the Congress’ arrogance and its decision to put faith in the Hooda family-Jat vote backfired. The BJP’s groundwork—changing the chief minister, fielding new candidates, creating alternative vote banks, and RSS gathering support—saw it firing on all cylinders.
The picture before counting day was very different: a Congress victory, if not an “aandhi” as its leader Rahul Gandhi had predicted, awaited Haryana. YouTube channels claimed his campaign rallies were breaking all records.
Some journalists stationed in Haryana were certain about the results: BJP out, Congress in.
As viewers, we formed a similar opinion from whatever news media we tapped.
Then, last Saturday, exit poll results predicted a comfortable Congress win in Haryana and a ‘neck-and-neck’ struggle in Jammu and Kashmir between the National Conference-Congress and the BJP. Taking their cue, the TV anchors and their expert analysts tut-tutted the decline of the BJP and hailed the rise of the Congress.
Sunday, newspapers led with the verdict of exit polls: for example, The Indian Express went with ‘Congress likely to win in Haryana, its alliance with NC has the edge in J&K, say exit polls’.
As Jaya Bhaduri said to Amitabh Bachchan in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, ‘Galat’.
The opinion poll-makers who, instead of graciously accepting that their exit polls were wrong (once again), avoided TV news studios on counting day—so they wouldn’t have to face the nation or the music for their wrong predictions.
Haven’t heard from them since, either. Time to show them the door? Will the news media ignore their findings in the future, entertaining as they might be?
Also read: Haryana win is redemption, J&K defeat is vindication. BJP is walking out of Lok Sabha poll fog
The Counting Day turnaround
Counting day on TV news was bizarre. The numbers’ game for Haryana was like a game of Snakes and Ladders: while Zee News showed 62/24 for Congress and BJP, DD News flashed 24-27 for BJP and Congress—both at the same time. The numbers seldom matched across channels.
The stars of the show, TV news anchors, showed up early Tuesday morning, blinking the sleep out of their eyes. They were rudely awakened at 10 am by the ‘Haryana Twister’ (India Today), which blew away the Congress and swept the BJP back to power in Haryana for an “unexpected, historic” third term (Republic TV).
They are the paltu Rams of this election.
Between 7 am and 9.45 am Tuesday, as early counting trends saw the Congress in cruise control, News 24 imagined a North India, extending from Jammu and Kashmir to Delhi, without the BJP.
Others like Times Now lauded the exit polls’ predictions: “Exit polls are not so bad, after all,” said anchor Navika Kumar at about 8.40 am.
Republic TV announced, “Congress passed the halfway mark” in Haryana and one of its anchors said it was pretty clear the party would form the next government.
DD News had “Big news”: BJP was ahead in J&K—“Exit polls are wrong?” it asked. Republic added that ‘BJP is bettering NC…(that) puts paid to (NC-Cong) forming a government easily’.
Animated discussions began on what the verdict meant for the Congress and the BJP—the rise of the Congress and the fall of the BJP.
Channels went live from the Congress headquarters where there was music and dance in anticipation of a win. On Times Now, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera made his (disastrous) comments on offering Modi jalebis…it was a done deal.
And then, at about 9.25 am, everything changed—at least on some channels: DD News had BJP and Congress at 24/17, Republic Bharat flashed 39/47 in favour of the BJP.
In one voice, anchors exclaimed their amazement: “Stunning surprise” (Times Now). “Biggest comeback,” said one anchor on CNN News 18. News X caught Haryana BJP leader Anil Vij singing…the airwaves were filled with excitement.
Suddenly, the narrative changed: until now, anchors had studiously avoided PM Modi’s name. Now, he was back: “Modi love is back?” asked ABP News. News 18 India anchor, Amish Devgn, jokingly asked who would be offering jalebis to whom now.
Anchors and analysts spoke of Congress arrogance, Hindu “consolidation”, “Modi magic”—“Nobody understands Haryana better than Modi does,” said India TV without disclosing why.
BJP spokespersons wore an “I-told-you-so” expressions on their faces, Congress wallahs looked sheepish and told everyone to wait until the final vote was counted.
Many of them would regret their words along with Pawan ‘Jalebi’ Khera: Supriya Shrinate, for instance, told News 24 she would change her name if BJP wins more than “15-20 seats” in Haryana.
Moral of the story? Don’t order jalebis, ever, during an election, and have another name handy.
As for us, the viewers, everything was ulta-pulta: what just happened?
The author tweets @shailajabajpai. Views are personal.
(Edited by Prashant)