Jo jita woh Sikandar

 You don`t say!

Darius Nakhoonwala

This is a well known saying in Hindi which roughly translates as `to win all` or that `the winner is emperor.` That is the spirit in which leader writers approached the Left Front`s more-than-emphatic win, for the seventh time no less, in West Bengal. After all, it would have been churlish, bad form, ill-mannered etc to point out that in spite of such a handsome victory, more than half the people of the state did not vote for it.  

The Telegraph, poor thing, was choking with the effort to be nice. "Embedded in the mandate is a demand," it said trying to sound stern, as a schoolmaster might. "There is the expectation that West Bengal under Mr Bhattacharjee`s leadership will set the agenda for economic reforms for the entire nation. West Bengal should no longer follow or react to policy parameters set down by New Delhi. It should act as the pace-setter in opening up new areas to foreign direct investment…" Then it repeated this, believe it or not, in 10 different ways, ending up with "the electorate of West Bengal has chosen not to leave Mr Bhattacharjee with any choice. Mr Bhattacharjee`s West Bengal must become India`s future."

The Hindu had a less of problem in dealing with the Left Front`s victory. After pointing to the voter turnout in West Bengal, a record 81.63 per cent, it praised itself a bit because "The Hindu-CNN-IBN exit polls (combined in three of the four States with post-poll surveys) were spot on". Self-congratutation done, the paper came to the point.

"A nationally important political outcome is the emergence of a re-energised and stronger Left headed by the CPI(M)." It then recounted how. Then it took a sanctimonious swipe at the media. "What is superficially understood and depicted by sections of the media as resistance to reform or `populism` is actually a political coming to terms with structural inequities and the unmet basic needs of ordinary people."

But the more significant edit was about the DMK coming back to power which, unsually for the paper, said nothing at all. "The DMK has failed to get a majority of its own. For the last three decades, the DMK and the AIADMK have been taking a big chunk of seats on the strength of clever alliances... With merely a one-third vote share, each has been able to rule in turn… M. Karunanidhi, who will become Chief Minister for a record fifth time… knows he must pay heed to the social churning across the State and to the changing mood of the people. He needs to focus… on development and issues of livelihood and mass deprivation."

The Pioneer which does not publish from any of the states where elections were held, was also uncharacteristically subdued. " Barring the Red tidal wave that has swept the CPI(M)-led Left Front to an unprecedented seventh consecutive victory with an unexpected majority in West Bengal , there is nothing startling about the results.." So subdued indeed that it didn`t take a swipe at Sonia Gandhi who won from Rae Bareilly. Instead it took a swing at the BJP. "Perhaps the outcome of the election in Assam would have been different if both AGP and BJP had had the wisdom of contesting the poll as allies and not opponents." But it made a valid point about voters. "The choice exercised by voters can rarely be explained in logical terms. After all, in Tamil Nadu voters have chosen Mr M Karunanidhi`s free colour TVs over Ms Jayalalithaa`s free PCs."

The Indian Express, I think, needs to stop being so smarmy all the time. It interpreted the mandate as "just govern." Isn`t it always that? "As this round of elections has shown, the voter can be deeply gracious in acknowledging good governance."

The Deccan Herald as usual was genteel and also said nothing and merely repeated what has been said dozens of times before. " For the first time in Tamil Nadu`s history the state will also see a government without a single party commanding a majority of its own in the assembly. That marks a sea change in the state`s politics, but the DMK is not unfamiliar with coalition politics, having shared power at the Centre at various times in the past." Great. I didn`t know that.

It did say a little nasty thing to the Congress, after pointing out that the party had done less well than was being made out. "The retention of power in Pondicherry is not worth a mention at the national level. But when Sonia Gandhi has won, what would Congressmen lose?" Good one.

The Hindustan Times was vacuous as ever, and need not detain us.

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