The flags were all in their hands, to be unfurled and waved. The young supporters were eager to jump outside and celebrate. But the elder ones kept holding them back.
“Wait, there are still 14 booths pending. Don’t start now,” said one of them in a strict tone.
As Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader O. Rajagopal’s lead crossed 5,000 in Nemom, this was the scene at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) office at Nelliyod in the constituency. Having come close to victory in recent times, only to lose by a whisker, they were wary of premature celebrations.
Inside the office, adorned by a giant cut-out of Mr. Rajagopal in the front and a poster of RSS founder K.B. Hedgewar inside, a group of workers were huddled around the television. There is a minor celebration as news comes in of the BJP sweeping the votes in the ward.
“This ward has been a stronghold of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). For the past several years, we have been the object of scorn even inside our own party for our inability to break the red hold on the ward. But this time, we put in so much hard work, even visiting each of the houses more than 10 times. It has paid off,” says Ayyappan, a BJP worker.
The anxiety inside the office continues as the lead levels at Nemom stays intact for a long time.
“Please, someone switch to Janam TV. We might get more accurate results,” says one of them, referring to the BJP’s own television channel. The anxiety level inside rises further as the NDA’s leads in the other two constituencies in Palakkad and Kasaragod are reversed.
After a long wait
“This one victory is all that we want. This has been a dream for such a long time,” says Dileep, a party worker, who had taken leave from his work with a film unit and has been campaigning here for the past two months.
Soon, the good news arrived and the constituency literally erupted, with large groups of BJP workers criss-crossing the place on motorbikes and cars, chanting “Jai Jai BJP.” “We are all heading to Palani. We had made a vow to tonsure our heads if Mr. Rajagopal won,” says Dileep.
In the afternoon, Mr. Rajagopal arrived in Nemom to a grand reception, with hundreds of party workers on motorbikes accompanying him.
