If you, like me, are based in India, then this week has been exciting one for you. Especially if you don’t hold any strong political opinions and are not married to a particular party. The result day has been nothing short of an emotional roller-coaster ride. The NDA lost the pivotal state UP and yet managed to emerge victorious, the I.N.D.I.A bloc proved to be a strong opposition, garnering a much higher tally than initially expected, and overall, it became clear that the outcomes of this election were not as straight forward as some people were touting it to be.

Like the exit polls. And the dance of the dragons it led to on the Indian stock market.

In fact, why did the share market act the way it did? Perception!

Thousands of crores wiped out just based on the perceived results of the Lok Sabha Elections. Not even the actual result, mind you. Just the perception of it!

Goes to show how important a role perception plays in our daily lives. The national elections are no different.

Overconfidence can be an overkill

If this election has proved anything conclusively, it is that overconfidence never leads to anything good. The Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) was so overtly confident in Brand Modi that they did not focus much on campaigning, or even hyping up their own leaders apart from the one and only. Plus, despite the influx of tourism and boost in economic growth due to the Ram Mandir, they still ended up losing Ayodhya.

The cockiness that the leaders possessed made them take the general public for granted. And, they gravely overestimated the impact the construction of the Ram Mandir was going to have on the voting public. Being a devotee of Lord Ram is one thing; being a BJP supporter is another.

Reservations about reservation

The I.N.D.I.A. bloc gained widespread momentum, especially in UP, by talking about removing the capping on reservation. They led the people to believe that if the NDA comes to power, the existing benefits extending to the marginalized communities would be taken away. Did the NDA ever claim such a thing? I know not; but the perception was created. And anything that infuses fear within the public spreads fast, far and wide.

Losing the digital war

Adding to their overconfidence in their ability to sway the general public without much effort, BJP’s IT cell this time around was not put to good use. Conversely, the Indian National Congress (INC) and the rest of the I.N.D.I.A bloc partnered with famous YouTubers and influencers and made sure that their message reaches every household in the nation. No matter how much we like to pretend that we are beyond being influenced by the media, all of us are susceptible to it. What we consume becomes us. And so, the perception the opposition party set out to create, be it in their favor or against the ruling party, struck a chord with the voters and we got the result we did.

A Win for Democracy

Irrespective of what outcomes you were hoping for, this election has been a huge win for democracy. No leader is above the support of his or her ‘janta.’ And no leader can win by simply putting the other down, without proving themselves to be up to the task they claim to be well suited for.

At the end of the day, the work should speak for itself. But we are far, far away from that becoming a reality. What wins right now is the perception a party is able to create – either for itself or against the other one – and it is that perception which is the true king maker, and not Nitish Kumar!

Jokes aside, here’s hoping the next 5 years bring prosperity in abundance for the general public. And lower taxes. Always root for lower taxes! 🤞