Prime Time
If there are elections, there will be exit polls. As Haryana and Maharashtra voted Monday, many news channels — ABP, Aaj Tak-India Today, India TV, Times Now, Republic etc. — could barely wait for polling to rush out with their results.
Then, it was all about being the most accurate and credible — Times Now boasted “Biggest political broadcast…with unprecedented accuracy’’, India Today claimed “Polls with the best strike rate” and “sharpest poll”, CNN-News 18 said it possessed the “team that got everything right…’’
Republic had a “100% grounded exit poll’’ — does that mean it would not come out with flying colours?
Aaj Tak and News 18 India were “sabse sateek” (precise), while Zee News, News 24 and India TV had “Maha” polls.
There was some disagreement on polling numbers: CNN-News 18 said “44% turn out” at 5 pm, while ABP reported “54.53%” per cent turnout.
The most ‘entertaining’ exit poll presentation award, however, goes to Aaj Tak. It brought the ‘Gateway of India’ from Mumbai to the Noida studio “specially for their viewers”. Anchor Chitra Tripathi called it “a historic creative presentation in the history of TV News”.
The two female anchors held a ‘pitara’ (box) with PM Modi’s cut out in a Peshwa dress and Sonia Gandhi in a Maharashtrian Nauvari saree.
On ABP News, anchor Romana Isar Khan dramatically began a countdown as if she was launching ‘Chandrayaan mission’ before revealing the results.
Since the results were never in doubt, channels proclaimed the winner even before the voting was over: “Decade of dominance looms’’, said Times Now, “Missing Opposition…BJP walkover’’, suggested NDTV 24×7, “Tootegi virodhi ke aasmaan”, observed Zee News, rhetorically.
As the numbers came up, there was blood on the studio floors: “Cong demolished”, proclaimed Republic, “NDA galloping to victory’’, added India Today, breathlessly.
“There’s just no stopping the Modi-Amit Shah combine,” said anchor Navika Kumar on Times Now.
India TV called it a ‘landslide victory’ for BJP. Anchor Saurav Sharma said that BJP in Haryana reached from “farsh (ground) to the arsh (sky)…now space is the only limit”.
On News Nation, anchor Deepak Chaurasia declared that in his three decade-long career, he has never seen such kind of a ‘one-sided election’.
Republic: In stentorian tones, anchor Arnab Goswami made five predictions: Congress would break up in 6-8 months, top Congress leaders would quit the party, Madhya Pradesh Congress government would fall, a deeper investigation into NCP’s alleged links with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and simultaneous polls in 2024.
NDTV 24×7: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari attributed the resounding victory to the Modi government at the Centre and the Fadnavis government in Maharashtra. “The credit goes to Modiji for his developmental agenda.”
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi spoke like a true lawyer: “I haven’t actually seen the figures but have heard about them and subject to my usual caveat about how polls can be wrong and misleading…I think all we can do now is accept whatever is the verdict.”
India Today: On the ambitiously titled debate, anchor Rajdeep Sardesai asked ‘Is Devendra Fadnavis Modi of Maharashtra?’
Yogendra Yadav, psephologist and president of Swaraj India, stated the obvious: “…frankly there isn’t much suspense in this election result.”
CNN-News 18: On “The Right Stand With Anand Narasimhan”, it was a ‘Jolt For Cong, Fadnavis-Khattar Set To Return’.
Political analyst Rasheed Kidwai said, “BJP’s entire campaign focussed on anti-Pakistan rhetoric and Article 370. There was no focus on the achievements of either the Khattar government or the Fadnavis government.”
Zee News: Here it was “Operation Diwali Dhamaka”, a reference to the Indian army’s attack on PoK terror camps.
Exit polls ‘Dhamaka’: ‘Cong demolished’ — Republic, NDA ‘galloping to victory’ — India Today
Anchor Aman Chopra linked it to the assembly polls — “370 ke sawal par 378 seaton ka jawaab” (indirectly referring to the BJP’s victory as a fitting reply to those questioning the removal of Article 370).
Front page
Maharashtra and Haryana elections continue to dominate the front pages Tuesday, with the exit polls predicting a clean sweep for the BJP. Also making news is the National Crime Records Bureau data for the year 2017, which is more than a year behind schedule, and the government’s proposed social media regulations.
Exit polls: The Indian Express headline says: “Exit polls call it for the BJP: NDA set to sweep Maharashtra and Haryana”; The Times of India asks a question, “Saffron sweep? Exit polls predict huge NDA wins in Maha, Haryana”; Hindustan Times chooses to simply report “Exit polls say BJP will sweep Maha, Haryana”, while The Hindu chooses to lead with the voting, “Peaceful but low polling in two States”.
“The polls were unanimous in predicting the NDA’s fortunes… (and) some forecast a further dip in the Opposition tally”, writes Express. Newspapers focus on BJP’s gains with these elections — TOI reports that “if the polls prove correct, it will be the first time, BJP will retain office in both states”, while HT categorically states that these polls “will reinforce BJP’s steady rise as a hegemonic force in Indian politics”.
In addition to a voter dip in both the states, Hindu also reports that “record seizures of cash and alcohol were made in the two states.”
NCRB data: While TOI and HT highlight crime figures for Delhi, Express says NCRB data, surprisingly, does not include deaths “due to mob lynching, murder by influential people, killing ordered by khap panchayat and murder committed for religious reason”.
The crime rate rises by 3.6 per cent in Delhi, writes HT, but adds that rape cases are at a “5-year-low” since 2013. TOI, on the other hand, is more critical and writes that the data “reaffirms” the belief that “Delhi is India’s crime capital” as the crime figures are “over four times the national average of 238”.
Social media regulations: The government will “finalise and also notify rules for social media and digital media platforms by January 2020”, reports HT. Hindu begins its lead paragraph with a rather dramatic statement by the government to the Supreme Court — “Internet has emerged as a potent tool that can cause unimaginable disruption to the democratic polity”.
Others: The Supreme Court has ordered the government to rebuild the Guru Ravidas temple “seven months after it ordered the demolition” reports TOI. HT adds, “The issue could become a significant one in the Delhi assembly elections.”
Express’ second lead is an exclusive on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) — “The proportion of young workers, those between 18 and 30” under MGNREGA “has begun to rise in the wake of demonetisation and the rollout of GST,” it reports. This rise could be due to “rural distress and lack of employment opportunities”, it adds. In its ‘Explained’ box, it says that “in a young nation, subsistence-level job guarantee should be” the last resort for young people.
Opinion
Hindu: In ‘No surprise in store’, Hindu notes the “modest” turnouts in the Maharashtra and Haryana elections due to “lethargy” in the state election campaigns. It also says that the election could have been a chance to “test” the BJP’s performance as it has ruled the state for the last five years. But the party focused public attention on “selective components of its track record” like national security, writes Hindu.
The opposition collapsed and central investigative agencies like the Enforcement Directorate appeared to “tilt the scale” to the BJP’s favour by pursuing old cases against opposition leaders. The BJP also “brazenly” cited military operations to “score brownie points”. Opposition parties have “sunk further” and continue to “grope in the dark for an organising principle”, it says.