Connecting the missing election dots

The results may have been surprising, but for many on the ground, the undercurrents of discontent were unmistakable

The journey is as important as the destination, as the saying goes. This rings true as the election season in India draws to a close after a nail-biting finish, though leaving room for some more twists and turns, perhaps in sync with a coalition era. Some called the counting of votes for the 18th Lok Sabha elections a “national thriller”, while others used terms like “down to the wire contest”. While the result came as a surprise, going back to reporters’ diaries, looking at newspaper reports from the last 45 days, and exchanging notes with colleagues who travelled to different