On counting day, social media erupts with quirky memes

New Delhi: With a quip about the market’s tumble here and a pun about the exit poll results there, social media memesters went into overdrive on the day of counting for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday. Many netizens gave a comic tinge to the dramatic election results through memes based on popular TV show “Panchayat”, and films like “Gangs of Wasseypur”, “Hera Pheri”, and “Chup Chup Ke” on X.

As the initial trends belied the exit poll results, the Indian stock market tumbled, with both Sensex and Nifty taking a massive hit. People found solace in sharing memes apt for the situation. While one X user RJDixita shared two chubby panda cubs tumbling down a grassy slope with a caption that read “Nifty-Sensex today!”, another posted a screengrab from Shahid Kapoor-starrer “Chup Chup Ke”, with a caption “Investors seeing their portfolio today be like”.

The meme by whoisut showed Om Puri, a businessman in that film, asking his accountant Shakti Kapoor - “35 lakh ka hamara investment hai, toh 36 lakh ka ghata kaise ho gaya?” (Our investment is of Rs 35 lakh, then how did we lose Rs 36 lakh?). Some X users also took on TV news channels, which had telecast exit polls that largely fell far from their predictions. Qid_Memez wrote in a post, “Me on my way to find exit pollsters” with a screengrab from the popular gangster drama “Gangs of Wasseypur” in which Manoj Bajpayee’s gun-totting Sardar Khan is going to attack a rival.

In another meme, be_mewadi shared a clip from “Panchayat” in which the character of MLA Chandrakishore ‘Chandu Singh, played by Pankaj Jha, tagged as “Election Commission” is seen packing up people tagged as “News Channels” onto a trolley. When people ask Singh to join them, he replies, “Hum aayenge, zarur ayenge. Hum antim me aayenge” (I’ll join, I’ll join you in the end).

The TVF show on Amazon Prime became a fodder for most of the quirky memes through different shots and screengrabs. A few users also found India’s love for chai a suitable companion in gripping moments such as election results. Desi_bhayo88 shared a screengrab from “Panchayat” season 3 with caption “Mein aur mere Pitaji election results dekhte hue”, where Bhushan, aka Banrakas, asks Binod “Ek-ek chai aur bola jaye?” (Shall we have another cup of tea?).

As the trends started turning into solid gains for candidates across party lines, memes reflected the growing suspense. X user profblackk shared a shot from Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal’s comedy riot “Hera Pheri”. As the trio hatch another plan to make some quick money, Rawal’s Babu Bhaiya shares his trepidations and says, “Mera to aisa dhak dhak ho rha hai” (My heart is beating too fast). Some also quipped on the way voters have used their franchise, giving scattered mandate in states like Maharashtra where the seats got divided among as many as six major parties, as per the trends. SocialChartered shared the map of the western state with different parliamentary constituencies painted in different party colours, the caption read: “Maharashtra is celebrating Pride Month”.

Social media users also took digs at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who became a butt of joke after switching his allegiance from INDIA to NDA in February. At the time, Kumar had jokingly said, “I have already told you that we (BJP-JDU) were together earlier. Twice in the middle, I went ‘idhar udhar’. But now, once again I have come ‘udhar’ (to the NDA).” His political ambivalence has gained him the moniker “Paltu Ram”.

One user, manogyaloiwal, shared a photo of a hoarding that reads “Nitish Sabke Hain” (Nitish belongs to everyone) to the caption- “One more time...Switching sides on cards @nitishkumar?”. Another user shared the same photo. The post read, “BJP ki sabse badi chinta” (The biggest worry for the BJP). Mememandir shared the screenshot of a fictitious chat in which the sender congratulates Nitish Kumar on the party’s performance. “Party?” the sender asks, to which Kumar readily replies, “Badal lenge” (will change it). Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP and Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) hold the key to the government formation of the NDA after the BJP fell short of getting a majority on its own.

X user Vk18xCr7 shared the iconic scene from SS Rajamouli’s “Baahubali” in which Katappa stabs Baahubali in the back with a caption that read, “Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu backstabbing NDA will be cinema”. Lyricist Varun Grover also joined the bandwagon in taking a jibe at the JD(U) leader and shared a collage of Rahul Gandhi and Nitish Kumar on a phone call, supposedly with each other, along with a caption - “Ik baar dekh leejiye, deewana bana deejiye!” - a song from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s show “Heeramandi”.

In another image that was shared online, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is shown calling Kumar on phone, saying, “Phone uthao bhai, mazak ka time nahi hai” (Pick up the call, it’s no time for jokes), while the latter is looking at his phone’s screen with a smile on his face. (PTI)