West Bengal and Tamil Nadu Assembly election results have one verdict in common, that arrogance is not everlasting and voters have their own ways to ground politicos who are out of their minds.
Mamta Banerjee had won West Bengal almost a year ago. May 13 results only made it official that she ended 34 years of uninterrupted Left rule in West Bengal.
The M Karunanidhi clan led Tamil Nadu government with the blessings of the Congress shamed all with their insatiable corruption. It's only a matter of time to see how many of the clan member go to jail in the aftermath of the election results.
Born and sworn to die Leftists had begun throwing their towels not so recently. Decisive turn of the tide came when the Left cadres began switching loyalties to Mamta.
Once confronted a die-hard Leftist on a question why the Left cadres would switch over to the Mamta, he had to say that they are tired with the "arrogance" of the Marxist leaders.
"Once people had sought to know from a top ranking Marxist leader should Nobel laureate Amartya Sen be brought to educate the Left cadre, the prompt answer came from him, that they had better economists then Sen," he said to explain his point.
But the bigger question is whether the people have elected Mamta or rejected the 34-year-old Left government! The Bengalis do not hide their frustration that they do not have leaders to look for.
"We needed leader like Nitish Kumar but there is none like him in Bengal," said one news photographer.
"In Bengal there is no ambition. People earn Rs 20 and spends Rs 10 on meal and goes to play card in the evening at adda. This is what there is in the state. We have slipped behind even Bihar," further added the news photographer.
In fact Mamta has bigger challenge at her hands now that she has to prove that she was worthy of the people's mandate. The Marxists would be counting days to see how she blunders out the popular mandate.
"The Left had conceded defeat long back but they think that after five years of Mamta's rule the Marxists would again come to power to stay in the Writers' Building for over 70 years," said one of those sworn to die as Leftist.
A Central government servant in Kolkata had told this author in October last year that though the Left would be voted out, what he dreaded most was of a couple of years of blood-letting in the state. If this happens at all, it would be the saddest things to happen in West Bengal.
The verdict in this summer of elections is not very decisive either ways for those who matter in Delhi.
Assam went for peace talks with Ulfra and good governance. Kerala left the pundits scracthing their heads. Pudduchery went for self-respect of their popular leader. West Bengal was an eruption of long suppressed anger and frustration.
It's only Tamil Nadu which matters in Delhi, as it indicates popular anger against the UPA-II which has unleashed corruption unlimited. This is a mere indication and a lot of churning out process would unfold in coming months.
Who rules Delhi after 2014 Lok Sabha elections would be known in some definite ways after the mother of all electoral battle in UP next year. A very strong lady is holding out there strongly amid frontal attacks from all the opponents.
