AMRITSAR: From thanking the public for support, spending time with their families and paying obeisance in gurdwaras and temples notwithstanding, it is a sense of intense anxiousness which has gripped leaders of all parties.   
 

Even the most arrogant and status conscious leaders have become polite, courteous and mild in the face of an uncertain and inexplicable public result that is staring the politicians in the face. The stupendous turnout of voters has added to their trepidation of what the large turnout of voters implied. Their curiosity has reached such a level that they hurriedly jump at the arrival and call of a journalist and community leaders from an area to know what are the underline feelings of the people from a particular region.
 
Over 60 per cent casting of polls despite torrential rains lashing the region left them flabbergasted and they are trying to fathom what drove people to the booths.
 
Navjot Singh Sidhu, cricketer turned politician and Surinder Singla, State Finance Minister, who have locked horns for the vacant Amritsar parliamentary seat, blazed the election scene with their firebrand and hyperbolic statements. Both the leaders have moved out of the city after the elections, but not before thanking the electorate for extending support to them. Singla has gone a step ahead to release a statement to the media thanking the citizens of the holy city who showered immense love and affection in such a brief time.
 
Lakshmi Kanta Chawla, BJP candidate from Amritsar (central), has gone on a pilgrimage to pray that there won't be a repeat of the last edition of the Assembly elections when she lost to Congress nominee Darbari Lal. She is pitted against the same Congress candidate this time also who prefers to stay with his family.
 
Leaving behind all considerations, the leaders prefer to get a first hand feedback from party workers and community leaders to assess the public sentiment. Congress candidate Raj Kumar from Verka constituency, who is pitted against SAD (B)'s Dalbir Singh, was engaged with party workers. Sitting in their houses, they continue to receive workers and interact with them to gauge the mood of the public.
 
The same is the scene at houses of Congress contestants from Amritsar (West) O.P Soni, who is pitted against BJP's Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina, CPI's Amarjit Singh Assal and Rajinder Kumar of NCP. With fear of votes being divided among candidates supporting various ideologies, candidates are busy thrashing out calculations in their favour which give them enough psychological support.

If BJP's Anil Joshi from Amritsar (North) was basking in the support extended by Sidhu in his constituency, then sitting MLA and Congress nominee Jugal Kishore Sharma hope that the charismatic personality of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh would do wonders in the constituency for the Congress.
 
Congress leaders Harjinder Singh Thekkedar, Sardul Singh, Sukhbinder Singh Sukhsarkaria, Harpratap Singh Ajnala pitted against Akali candidates Raminder Singh Bolaria, Malkit Singh, Vir Singh Lopoke and Amarpal Singh Bonny, respectively who are all holding meetings with party workers to at least arrive near the results.
 
One common thread between them is that they are fervently praying to God to tilt the balance in their favour and in this hope not forgetting to pay obeisance at religious shrines.