Soon after the August 17 general election Mangi called a special meeting of the village-level party organizers.


 These organizers naturally expected a big ‘Thank you’ from their leader, but what they got was a searing harangue from him.

“The way we campaigned putting our full strength into it, I thought I could easily top the preference list. But Puncha beat me again!” Mangi said.  Now he faced the organizers no longer concealing his anger: “What on earth were you doing when you were supposed to be campaigning for me?”

“Have all those chaps who came here begging for my help to get some job or other voted for me?” he asked again. 

All party activists quietly listened to Mangi and none of them ventured an answer to any of his questions.    

The brainy Puncha who heard what had transpired at the meeting had remarked with a sardonic smile: “This is good news. I hope better news is on the way!”