It is another matter that the majority of them have a favourite political party to flaunt. Largely though, they fall into two traps – the pro-BJP and the pro-Congress. It is a thankless job. This time “public mood is tough to read” is their favourite line. Underlined by a clear cut alignment with the BJP or the Congress. But “expect the unexpected” remains the most quoted. Also a consensus on elections is a “celebration of India’s diversity and democracy”.

For the Congress analyst, however, “democracy is under threat” is the norm – “Modi samvidhan badal dalega’. Modi got 10 years and he did not tamper with the Constitution's vertebrae. But political analysts generally don’t believe in “ye public hai jo sab jaanti hai”. So anything goes including the one that there were tough fights in BJP bastions in “gaumutra states.” The counter is, the BJP will make up for the losses in Telangana, Odisha and Mamata Banerjee's West Bengal.

And Modi’s “400-paar” is rhetoric, an "aspiration" to motivate voters to come out in droves and vote BJP just out of sheer gratitude to the Prime Minister who "changed crores of lives with his people-friendly schemes”. This is another of many safe lines. A question not asked but lurked in the recesses is, “Is there absence of a pro-government wave?” Whether there existed “public anger against Narendra Modi?”

No, there is no Modi wave. And yes, there is discontent against the government but not enough to deprive Modi of yet another majority. And “abki baar 400 paar” is pipe-dream just like Akhilesh Yadav claiming 79 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh. Only the rare political analyst will stick his neck out. Playing safe is the last refuge of undecided political analysts.

Pro-INDIA analysts are vociferous on “sense of discontent” among voters, which, they say, will reflect in the results on June 4. But tell them to quantify the sense of discontent and there is no answer. The Opposition couldn’t capitalise on the sense of discontent is often resorted to. Hiding behind "complex" and "difficult to decode election” is safer by far. Pro-Congress analysts defer to the “undecided voter” theory for the sense of security it lends them.

"At some level, we are not seeing that Modi wave. On a different level, there are some fence-sitters. Modi Wave cannot control the Opposition, who are focussing on local issues. The Opposition is giving a fight but that doesn't equal victory," said a pro-Congress political analyst who commands great respect in New Delhi’s political circles.

Honestly speaking, there is no wave to catapult Modi’s BJP to 370+, as Union Home Minister Amit Shah is going around propagating. Could it be that there is a wave, but the staggered election dates have taken the wind out of the wave's sails? The breaks in between the phases have broken the wave into phases depriving each fractured wave blunt force. There is also the analysis that a wave can only be discerned "after an election".

So wait for beyond June 4.

Also, nobody will dispute that there is hope as well as anger among voters. But ask whether discontent has converted to anger and the answer is, “there is no political movement to help.” Another method to deny a wave is that the election began with highlighting “national issues” but soon deteriorated to localized issues. Third, Social Media took control of the political narrative. Dhruv Rathee started speaking for Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi was the common enemy.

Of course, political analysts lay great stock on the “silent majority”, the “undecided voter” and the colourful “fence-sitters”. The “silent majority” make up their mind beforehand itself unlike the “undecided” and “fence-sitter”. To defeat Modi called for more undecided and fence-sitters.

And indecision depends on what is the issue at heart – people aspiring for a bright future for their children generally decide elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the advantage of carrying women voters and ‘labarthis’ of his government’s welfare projects with him. This election there is no credible political analyst to look up to. The indecision is eating into the entire polity. Everybody is with fingers crossed and brows wrinkled. June 4 is so far, far away. (IPA Service)