Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Decoding what the 'satta bazaar' is up to!
Betting is illegal. But it's flourishing. Why are people drawn to wagers on politics?
Betting in India is like sex. No one is happy about it when it’s for cricket matches (or, before marriage), but if it’s for elections (i.e., after marriage), the market gets everyone going. (Still, betting is illegal — sex is not).
Now that there are only a few days left for May 23, and the exit poll results are also in, there are bets being placed frenetically everywhere.
It was the same in 2014 too, in all the assembly elections that took place between 2014 and 2019 and, of course, it was there in all IPL matches held since time immemorial — but what’s different this time is the scale.
Probably the person you thought would never take a risk in his/her life has secretly put on lots of money — and may soon throw a party.
'Betcha Moment': When Modi addressed a press meet
No, there was no bet on whether Modi will address a press meet or not.
But one of the first things we got to hear from him was about the satta market of India — and how this went kaput on May 17, 2014!
The PM said that bets were on for the Congress getting 150 seats and the BJP getting somewhere between 218 and 275 seats. But all calculations were decimated when the results came out.
It was the beginning of ‘imandari’ (honesty), the PM said.
Well, the market is sharper this time.
According to reports, the bets for the BJP are hovering well over 250 seats.
Everyone has a price...
...It's just that not everyone can shell out.
A report says the betting rate on Modi in Mumbai is 1:12. Decoded, that means, you bet Rs 1 Lakh — you will apparently get Rs 1,12,000 if you win.
The same report says that in Mumbai, there are no bets going on Rahul as a PM candidate.
Before the election, another popular bet going was whether Priyanka Gandhi would be contesting or not. There are bets on for almost every constituency as well.
And, yes everyone, including communist Kanhaiya Kumar, has a price on them.
But to calculate all that, you need more than Class 10 knowledge of Mathematics.
Digital India betting
The market is bigger than your imagination — apparently, overseas betting centres are involved.
And no one can give you a clear picture of what’s going on because, at the end of the day, it’s totally illegal.
As always, we discourage you from placing bets. The only bet to place is your own vote — trusting that you will get a handsome prize of 'Achhe Din 2.0', should you win!