u/CoolAfternoon2340

I was just thinking about how I was feeling before the elections. I live and work in Bengaluru and when the election dates were announced, I felt very anxious and hopeless. I had seen the story twice before, everyone around me thought TMC would lose but then they came back with a bigger mandate in 2016&2021.

I used to feel sick about how I would have to live in Bengaluru for the rest of my life and I wouldn't even have an opportunity to try to go to Kolkata for a job.

I had no expectations of BJP winning, but somehow I mustered the courage that it was important to vote. BJP would lose yes, but I felt I had to make a point by making the election as close as possible. This was the only way I could get back at them for what they have done to me.

Unfortunately I am not rich enough to book a direct flight to Kolkata, which at that time cost 11k. So I flew to Bhubaneshwar, stayed there overnight and took a train to Howrah ON THE DAY of election on 29th April and then took a metro from Howrah directly to my polling booth. I still didn't feel that BJP would win but I was proud that I had made my point and I did what I could do come back to Kolkata.

It was only on 4th May when what I thought unimaginable started coming true.

I am still in Bengaluru, I don't know if I will ever be able to get a job in Kolkata and even if I do, I don't know when it will be. After all, industries take time. But something has changed; I now feel a semblance of hope, something I hadn't felt in years. For the first time I feel represented by a MLA. The fact that a few BJP candidates even bothered to mention people like me who were away from our houses meant a lot.

Here's to hoping our dreams come true and we can go back home.

I grew up as a Hindu but I became a follower of Buddhism few years ago. However, over the past few years, as I have lived away from my family, I have recently developed a sense of comfort when I see the deities my mother prays to and it triggers fond memories of childhood when I used to attend prayer meetings with her and my grandmother.

I got into Jungian Psychology as I realised through therapy that I needed to do a lot of work with my anima.

I am concerned that feeling that sense of comfort and belonging to my childhood when I see these gods may be a hindrance to the progress I have made to make peace with my anima and may remain underdeveloped. On the other hand, staying close to these gods feels like a good way to be close to my mother even when I am physically away from my family.

What is the best way to deal with this?

My prediction:

TMC - 185

BJP - 105

INC - 3

Don't give any explanations for why you think so. Just drop the numbers. Don't edit it tomorrow to make it look like you predicted it exactly. Closest to predict gets nothing.