Round and about with stray poll thoughts

And for the second-last Saturday before we've the election results, a few stray thoughts and observations and a few points of view (all my own work):

>> Like my heart goes out to all those on election duty for the last two phases. I've experienced it myself and Bihar and Eastern UP at 40+ degrees feels like a furnace

>> Like I spent a few days watching the lesser Hindi channels - JIA, Live News, Lemon News, Metro News, etc etc - and I know why they continue to be lesser

>> Like the challenger channels like News Nation, News India, India News didn't just match up. NewsX was the biggest disappointment of the season

>> Like despite bringing in Vinod Dua and Sanjay Pugalia, IBN 7 wasn't in the reckoning at all in my Top 5. Ditto with NDTV India whose Ravish Kumar's reports from the ground were super, but it's not got the numbers.

And these stray thoughts:
>> Like I am still not sure who is ruder and heckles his guest more: Karan Thapar or Arnab Goswami

>> Like I am even more undecided whether I hate Sanjay Jha more or Meenakshi Lekhi

>> Like I have been watching Rajya Sabha TV more than ever before over the last few days to catch Amrita Rai reading the news

>> Like I think in these ‘Made for Television' elections of 2014, there are just as many people ready to pounce on erring channels as they are on politicians

>> Like I find the BJP and Cong ads good, though I remember the BJP tagline of ‘Achche Din Aaanewaale Hain', and not the Congress'

And this final viewpoint:
That must as I want the ‘achche din' to come, like many across India and the world, I am looking forward to the end of the elections process. But we still have two more phases to go. Pheeeeeew!

And this end-point:
That having grown up reading Behram ‘Busybee' Contractor columns, every time I've attempted doing a weekend round-up of random thoughts in Noose Night, I found myself breaking into the Round and About-style. Miss you much, Busybee!

Pradyuman Maheshwari is a senior journalist and editor. When he's not chasing news, he's watching it.
Twitter: @pmahesh
E: noose@pman.in