Maharashtra election results: Who’s buying lunch? Friendly betting on candidates gives results day a social twist in Pune

PUNE: Results on Thursday from the world’s biggest election set Kuldeep Ranaware back by a few bucks. He had to buy friends lunch after losing a “fun bet” he had placed on Rahul Gandhi and the Congress’ prospects.
Several youngsters and working professionals across the city turned results day into a social event as they went to restaurants and pubs to discuss the outcome of the seven-week long election process.

“I had made this bet after calculating chances of a Rahul Gandhi victory. By 2pm on Thursday, I was proven wrong,” Ranaware said. But unlike the outcome for the Congress, it wasn’t all bad news for him. “I also bet on Supriya Sule winning by a margin of over 1.04 lakh votes. I won that,” he said.

Sandeep Kale, another working professional based in Katraj, won a free lunch after a friend lost a wager. Kale had bet on a second term for the PM. “The suspense has been building for over a month. My friends and I spent hours discussing the election results,” he said.

Another city-based working professional, requesting anonymity, said, “I had bet going with my cousin on BJP’s win. If I won, he would pay me Rs 3,000. If I lost, I would have to pay him Rs 9,000. I won,” he said.