Eyes Often Speak More Than Words: Panchayat Polls, Mind You, No Guessing Now!
By D N Singh
The day of polling, was vibrant, the people with their franchise exercised for the three-tier election for the Panchayats.
Now it seems the fore-tellers on the elections are a bit awkwardly stalked to silence because of the EC’s directives to keep mum on any exit poll or anything that may impact a voter’s choice.
With the media taking the back-seat now after the first phase polling, it is left to the conjectures of the poll-watchers sitting in the debates or writing in newspapers.
However, as things are or the mood of the mass on the ground could be seen, the pulses could be read, that there is an ecstatic air in one party .
A throwback reveals that, since last two to three months the BJD has been doggedly on its pre-poll pursuit for the Panchayat bodies.
It can be said without violating any directive of the EC that, the chief minister of Odisha, in his never say stop for tomorrow, mode has been in connect with the masses and it has had its reflections on the ground. From Pan-shop to a grocery outlet, or at the gossip joints, the moods of people were simply understandable. It cannot be said more. Nor they want to speak a word whom to vote for.
It is he matters who walks the talk. The moods at different party camps are simply palpable. One does not need a mind-reader.
Reluctant Competitors
The opponents cannot be unlisted while a political analysis is made on a grass root exercise like Panchayats.
Barring a few notes of grudging and contrarian views and, of course some claims, in the opposition camp what seems missing is the sense of bellicosity and a person at the top who steers through.
Or, if it can be said that the opposition maintains a mood that of a reluctant competitor.
Once one gets the feel from the political grape vines and hear the chatters on the ground, hardly there is any pressing need to delve deeper in this time of when majority try to be updated with the world through a smartphone only.
Talking about the oldest party, its apple-cart has halted where it remained in 2017 or prior to that.
No analyst can add much to its affected unity and a leadership among the party, let alone for the people to look up to.
Polling for the Panchayat is on and the results are seen in the eyes of the people who took part in this festival. Some times eyes speak more than words.
