Does this remind you of another election a year later? It was 29th November 2015, election results day in Bihar, one of the most populous states in India. Almost every poll, including exit polls, had predicted a landslide victory for the challenger the National Democratic Alliance, i.e. NDA. For weeks, news channels had panels of ‘experts’ vehemently expounding the reasons for these poll results. The incumbent state government was blamed for cozying up with activists instead of governing, and was also branded as arrogant and incompetent. The leaders of the NDA were lauded for their prodigious campaigning skills, their impeccable ground game, and their strategy. When the vote count commenced, the early trends had the NDA leading. The ‘experts’ replicated their previous proclamations; they lambasted the incumbent while they lavished blandishments on the challenger. They even began advising the incumbent on remedial measures after their humiliating...(Read Full Post)