People count on smartphones, TV for news on judgement day

Sunit Dhawan

Rohtak, June 4

Residents remained glued to their television sets and smartphones to get the latest updates on the results of the Lok Sabha elections. From the elderly to the youth, all were curious to know the political fate of candidates they voted for.

“I watched the election results on television with family members and remained in touch with my friends on our WhatsApp group. It felt as if we were watching an India-Pakistan cricket match with a nail-biting finish,” said Aabha, who studies in a university.

Aabha said her friends and she supported different parties, but they had a good and exciting time discussing the poll results and their repercussions. Sidhant, who was a first-time voter in these elections and recently returned after completing a degree in business management from Dubai, said watching the stock market going up and down in consonance with the election trends was fascinating.

“I feel that there should be a stable government in the country as it can take firm decisions in national interest, while coalition governments are usually run on compromises based on vested interests of the partners,” he maintained.

Lakshay, an architecture student, and Ananya, a physiotherapy intern, said they did not have much interest in politics, but they watched the election results just to stay connected to their friends who were closely following the updates.

Gauri, a student of psychology, said it was interesting to note how people aligned to different ideologies and start supporting political parties as per their beliefs.

On the other hand, the elderly also had their own reasons to be curious about the poll trends.

“I have seen many governments in my life. I vote for the candidate whom I consider worthy of a big responsibility, irrespective of his or her party,” said Sneh Devi, a retired schoolteacher.

Meanwhile, social media platforms remained abuzz with political activities throughout the day. Memes and reels on the fast-changing election trends ruled the day.

Some hustle and bustle returned to parks, streets and markets by the evening as people got out to have face-to-face discussions with their friends, neighbours and acquaintances regarding the latest political developments.