Front Page
The lead story across newspapers converges Tuesday: after Sunday’s exit poll results predicted a sweeping victory for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), “Stocks ride on exit polls to biggest gain since ’13” says Hindustan Times. `Best day in a decade…’ elaborates Business Standard; “PM Narendra Modi trailer runs to full houses on D St’’ exults Economic Times, turning filmi, perhaps because Modi’s biopic is set for release 24 May.
HT is almost wide-eyed in awe in its description: “Within 60 seconds of opening on Monday morning, Indian stocks that are traded on BSE added ₹3.18 lakh crore in value,” it reports, adding, “It wasn’t just stocks: the rupee and sovereign bonds too rose.”
“The markets were reacting to prospects of a strong and stable government which would hopefully focus more on reforms than populism,” it writes.
Times of India’s “Exit polls boost Sensex to biggest 1-day rise in 10 yrs”, observes that “traders and investors cheered on Dalal Street on Monday” because “the Sensex rallied 1,422 points its highest single-day gain in over a decade and the second highest ever — to settle at 39,353, its highest-ever close”.
The Indian Express describes this surge as an “unprecedented rally” although the headline is awkward: “Taking cue from exit polls predicting Modi’s return, Sensex surges 1400 points to new high”.
Its ‘Explained’ box, Express points out that “the Sensex movement on exit poll projections has been a constant, at least over the last 5 general elections”.
The Elections: The Hindu, as usual, is more lukewarm in its reception: although it says “Sensex rockets 1,422 points’’ it doesn’t give it top billing. It chooses to focus on the Opposition. In “Opposition takes stock after exit polls favour NDA”, it writes that “Notwithstanding the exit poll forecasts”, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu “is continuing with his efforts to create a united block of non-NDA Opposition parties”.
Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav met Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati at her residence, Hindu notes, saying “neither party spoke of what transpired at the meeting” but “the SP chief tweeted a photo of himself with Mayawati and posted a cryptic message”.
अब अगले क़दम की तैयारी… pic.twitter.com/jrnI4TNoNK
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) May 20, 2019
The other newspapers report party strategies, too. Common across front pages is the BJP’s plan to host a dinner for its NDA allies. “….the ruling party has started preparations for celebrations and also for government formation immediately after the results are announced”, reports TOI.
TOI and Express also observe BJP’s moves in Madhya Pradesh –and Karnataka — to unseat Congress-run or coalition governments: in MP its called for “a special session to discuss important issues’’ (`BJP asks for House session in MP to turn heat on Cong’, Express).
Lavasa: HT and Express claim breaking news rights on Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa’s disagreements with his fellow commissioners. HT states in its interview with Lavasa, “The rift within the three-member commission came into the open after this paper reported on May 18 that Lavasa recused himself from all meetings to discuss MCC issues”.
“The Indian Express had first reported that Lavasa had, on five occasions, opposed clean chits given to the Prime Minister…and BJP President,” writes Express.
As for Lavasa, it was “the Supreme Court’s strong observations on the poll panel’s delayed reaction to hate speeches that prompted him’’ to seek a “transparent and time-bound disposal complaints, writes Express.
“If decision of the Election Commission are taken by a majority, and you do not include the minority view (in the final order), what is the point of having a minority view?” Express quotes him saying. But, Lavasa tells HT, I have no axe to grind…’ with anyone.
Others: HT, meanwhile, is the only one to report “Millions to be hit as Google cuts Android support to Huawei” on its front page flap. “The decision, in the midst of a United States trade war with China, means that Huawei users will start losing access to Google’s proprietary services such as Gmail and Maps, and be shut out of future upgrades to Android on their phones,” it finds.
Other front pages also miss The Hindu’s important page 1 report on “India cuts off UN panel after J&K report”.
“Reacting angrily to a submission from the Geneva-based Human Rights Council (HRC) on alleged violations in Jammu and Kashmir, India has informed the United Nations body that it will no longer entertain any communication with the HRC’s Special Rapporteurs on its report,” it reports.
Opinion
The Hindu’s “Eye on the monsoon” says “hopes are particularly high for normal rainfall” with the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)’s forecast of normal rain at 96 per cent of the long term average. But it has also apprehended a deficit.
The monsoon is crucial for “60 % of the gross cropped area” but with uneven monsoon rainfall the norm and a 52 per cent decline in groundwater levels, states should have set up new recharging wells and improved existing ones. They have also failed to raise “efficiency” of irrigation — it seems the farming sector has been dictated by “the imperatives” of an election year, writes Hindu.
Poor freshwater availability and the need for mandatory rainwater harvesting in urban areas are other challenges for both the Centre and the state governments, it adds.
ET in “How to reallocate Jet’s Global slots” says globalising Indians need air travel that is “cheap, plentiful and convenient”. To meet this, reducing flight shortages is the “primary concern” in the reallocation of Jet’s flights and “not to make Air India profitable at the expense of costlier travel and restricted choice of destinations…” The financial soundness of airlines in the fray is an important consideration. The government can also consider “auctions for flying rights”. It needs to further liberalise bilateral rights across the board to lessen “the artificial scarcity” of flights, ET writes.
Prime Time
The day after the exit polls, the news channels appeared exhausted by the long campaign and were more relaxed about their business. Many like CNN News18, replayed their exit polls of the previous evening.
At prime time, however, it was back to business as usual with contentious debates on the exit polls.
India Today: Anchor Rajdeep Sardesai looked at the exit poll predictions of another Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA government.
BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli welcomed the poll findings and hoped they came true on 23 May.
A subdued TMC supporter Monojit Mondal commented that if the exit poll numbers were correct, then the election was “fought only on the basis of Pulwama and Balakot air strike”.
SP’s Ashutosh Verma refuted claims that the SP-BSP alliance would perform below par: “Exit poll results are not consistent. The ‘mahagathbandhan’ is not expecting anything less than 40 seats”.
Zee News: Anchor Sudhir Chaudhary in his commentary of the day said, “Modi haters have only one thing to say about the exit poll results – the numbers are lying.” He observed that the BJP is now making inroads into states where “no one thought BJP would win a single seat”.
NDTV India: anchor Ravish Kumar said that there is nothing new to say about exit polls, the way things stand out now as almost everyone is predicting BJP led NDA to win. He also mentioned, “With exit poll results being announced, Namo TV has now faded into oblivion.”
Aaj Tak: Anchor Rohit Sardana back from his nationwide ‘Dangal’ show, also discussed the exit poll predictions of an NDA victory — the India Today-Axis exit poll said NDA would win between 339-365 seats, UPA between 77-108 seats, and Others only between 69-95 seats.
Congress leader Rajiv Tyagi was in denial: “One should not believe exit poll results. In my view a hung parliament is going to be formed and those who are going to make better alliances will win.”
BJP leader Prem Shukla did his sums and said that an average of all the exit polls indicated an NDA government. “The question is whether UPA will pass 100 mark”, he added, in jocular fashion.
TMC supporter Monojit Mondal conceded that BJP would be the largest party on 23 May, “but I think there will be a hung parliament”.
Political analyst Ashutosh said that since Narendra Modi became prime minister, “BJP has become a specific-person centric organisation. Congress, in its current form, will not be able to take down BJP”.
CNN News18: Anchor Anand Narasimhan asked, “Where is the UPA losing its game.”
Centre for the Study of Society and Politics (CSSP) director A.K. Verma looked for answers beyond the campaign: “Mann Ki Baat is a very good experimentation in Indian politics. Do you know of any Prime Minister who has spoken 53 times during his tenure of five years with the people of India?”
With inputs from Shailaja Bajpai