BJP Crisis in Delhi NCR - Homebound to Bengal

These days, my WhatsApp keeps buzzing with a huge demand for the BJP. Before you correlate it, yet another analogy with Delhi's popular CM, with a misplaced PR, hold your horses, it is - Bartan Jhadu Pocha. Yes, the elections in Nepal, and then in Bengal, have sent a majority of Delhi-NCR maids to natives, and the gig economy is on the rise, leaving a lot of demand for a "swacch" [cleaner] ambience and domestic help for the BJP in BJP-ruled demographics. 

AAP's broom was swept off by the original BJP, and how. Err, no Raghav Chopras [Chaddha] are harmed here. However, a new set of gig workers set the city by storm. Whether the city got cleaner or not, Bengal got another sweeping victory for the BJP. Aspiring MPs, choose your bottles err battles wisely and read on...

West Bengal votes, Delhi NCR gloats

The nation and national news have just got over the legendary Bengal elections. What few people knew was how it had the unsung ability to demobilise the Delhi-NCR routine. 

Those "a few" people are the normal public of Delhi-NCR who are crying for -Maid In India.

Yes, Maid in India is the new national chartbuster, a precious commodity, and finding a good maid is like white Gold, err, no, white elephant. 

Now that the elections are over, subsidies are restored, "note for vote" settled, and homecoming is still pending as the mandatory fingerprint process for free ration and other subsidies for people earning well yet showing themselves BPL [Below Poverty Line] is upcoming. I am not aware of LPG supply, but househelps are returning, so are the slots on bespoke apps like Snabbit and Instahelp. 

Appraisals and the KRA Irony

May 2026 - the corporate appraisal season is here. From performance reviews to new AOPs, it is that time of the year that everyone waits eagerly and dreadfully, simultaneously. 

Chances are that your bonus, despite clocking in a sincere 18 hours a day for an 8-hour office duty, your appraisal may not earn you above 5% to 10% dignified increment, but your househelp's salary often demands a minimum of 20 to 50 per cent jump. [Unless you are a cunning, conniving, boss's sycophant or actually blessed with a mature, understanding boss]

The irony is- while the workplaces are obsessed with KPIs and KRAs, there is no assurance that the help hired after paying a cheque to the manpower agent will deliver anywhere close to the promised or basic standard- yet their expectations as an employee are at par with your manager's expectations as an employer, and often, a one-way street. 

The Key result area, best translated as Kyu Rakhe Aapko, takes a backseat in the household. Even the makers of "The Devil Wears Prada" couldn't hire a housekeeper at Miranda Priestly's house to take the book at the door. You cannot make a Delhi-NCR maid househelp move a needle, let alone at a glacial speed, if she doesn't intend to. She is not your resource, cost centre, but your HR, who is sure to fire you at the drop of a hat. And you think Gen-Z is a difficult nut to crack. Huh! try the Gen-z Maids. 

Gen-Zee Maids

The Gen-Zzzz oops Z staff is always on the phone, unless you call them. That is the exact moment when their poor handsets turn bizarre, even on your personal wifi. Gone are the days of JI Madam; today, you need to show utmost. respect the maid, ensuring she eats on time, sleeps on her time, has sufficient breaks, desired screen timing, amongst other things, to retain her till a week's end at least. Because you think stickiness comes with time, if a month has passed, the maid is sure to stay. You have a lot to learn, mister oops sister!

Anjali, 35, doesn't wait for her spouse to return from work as fervently as she waits for the maid to come to work. "Didi main kaam pe nahi aayegi" is the biggest heartbreak line ever. You keep wondering, what did I do that made her say so? Pointless, the neighbouring aunty has offered her 500 bucks extra to usurp your timings, or the agent has rotated her to bid for a new client. 

Election or no election, the domestic helper situation is going quite pathetic.

Election woes

"They have been summoned to vote, saying- No vote, no subsidy." 

"They cannot provide employment, but are summoned to vote."

"Didi, I need to send this girl back, otherwise she will lose on electoral/ campaign money/benefits. She will be back in 10 days. Oh, the thumbprint process is not completed and will take another 30 days now."

These are not just voices but opportunities. 

I understand voting is a basic birthright and it must be exercised. However, when it becomes less of a civic duty and more of a propaganda, it affects voters in other states, too.  

You must vote, but then the government should keep the infrastructure ready, rather than just giving subsidies to domestic natives who feel working for money is a waste of time when people are forced to pay for sub-standard work and the government for BPL. 

High salaries, limited work, zero accountability, moods wired with integrated circuits, yet the household economies are at the losing end as a majority of maids have flown away to West Bengal for the elections and have not returned yet. 

"No tickets, madam", unless you sponsor one. Sure, as long as she returns home, we are all the earnest Jaya Bachchan from K3G to welcome her aboard, but like Ranbir Kapoor from Bachna E Haseeno, they would betroth another job and go missing from the station. Calls unanswered, sims thrown, you wonder if this is the same person whom you bought a new dress on Diwali when you couldn't buy for yourself. We aren't that lazy, but the problem is another blog post or posts altogether. 

Meantime, follow what PM taught during Covid-2019- Atmanirbharta [self-sufficiency]

Hope you had a good read. 

Numerounity