The Indian voter is known for springing surprises, both pleasant and unpleasant. Time and again parties and individuals have been shocked by election results, sometimes by being voted out, on other occasions by voted in. One example of the latter is the results in 2004 when the UPA, contrary to its own expectations, got more seats than the over-confident NDA and formed the government. It hasn't looked back since and the NDA and its main component the BJP have still to fully recover from that jolt.

This time round some of the election results were expected, yet there is many a surprise in store for politicians. I am writing this as the final results are still being tallied but even at this stage the broad trends are visible. The two states where the biggest shockers have happened are West Bengal, where after 34 years of uninterrupted rule, the CPM has been reduced to a minor entity in the assembly and in Tamil Nadu, where the ruling DMK has been almost decimated by the Jayalalitha juggernaut. Not that other results are not important – the handsome victory of the Congress in Assam and the return to power of the Congress-led UDF in Kerala are significant too. But for sheer impact, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu results are hard to beat.

CPM had looked unbeatable in West Bengal in election after election. It had a strong cadre and no viable opposition. The Congress was a pale shadow in the state and the Trinamul Congress, formed about a decade or so ago was not organised enough. Moreover, the CPM was always accused of tactics like "scientific rigging", wherein cadre used to ensure that votes against them were not cast.

Yet, a lone woman, with nothing but determination, capitalised on the sheer disgust of the Bengali voter and has emerged winner by destroying the CPM in its own citadel. People accuse Mamata Bannerjee of flip-flops, of being destructive and of not being a good administrator. Certainly she was paying less attention to the Railway Ministry and more to her state. But she deserves a chance. As for the CPM, they need to introspect whether they are now redundant in the new India.

In Tamil Nadu, it was a battle of freebies, with both sides offering all kinds of incentives and gifts to voters. But the people were angry at the scale of corruption and scandals that had come to be associated with the DMK, the 2G scam being the latest. Though Jayalalitha too faced her share of accusations in the past, she was seen to be a better administrator; it is up to her now to ensure that the state regains its lost glory as an investment destination.

The lesson from the two victories is that neither arrogance nor corruption succeeds. The CPM thought it was invincible and would always be in power. Its attitudes kept investors away and turned the state into among the poorest performers in India. In Tamil Nadu, the DMK believed that giving people free TV sets for enough, while its leaders fought among themselves and put their fingers into the till. The voters have given both a strong riposte.

But it will be a pity if this underlying message of the results is lost on the winners or indeed on other parties. It is heartening to see that voters show their anger during the elections, but democracy is not only about elections. Parties and politicians should realise that during the period between elections they need to deliver governance. People want development, they want jobs and the basics of any normal society—food, shelter and security. They do not want casteism, regionalism or communalism and they certainly do not want corruption. The winners now, especially newcomers like the Trinamul Congress must realise that.

In West Bengal fears have been expressed about violence. The political climate of the state is polarised and in recent years the TMC's followers have clashed with the CPM's cadre. This should be avoided at all costs. The CPM should take its defeat gracefully, the TMC must understand that winning does not mean it can do anything it wants to. Nor should there be any move towards using the official machinery for revenge against the losing party, as has happened often in the past (though it is important to bring corrupt politicians to justice.) The political class, in short, must show maturity, otherwise it could be their turn out of power next time.

In the final analysis, once again the power of electoral democracy has been demonstrated. There is much to complain about in India, but it is still a thriving and vibrant democracy. And that is something definitely to cheer about.

This article is written by Sidharth Bhatia is a senior Indian journalist who has worked in print, broadcast and online media. He is a columnist and regular commentator on current affairs for several leading publications and on national television.

You can write to Sidharth at   wideangle@personalfn.com

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