UP, 5/3: BJP flags fluttering atop rooftops, wide roads, a world class railway station, a renovated Kashi Vishwanath Temple and comparatively cleaner Ganga ghats may leave an impression that for BJP there is no challenge in Varanasi, a saffron stronghold since 2014.
An interaction with the people, both locals and outsiders, while taking a stroll on the iconic Assi Ghat on the bank of the Ganga, where one can witness the grand Ganga Arti at dawn and also in the evenings, also reveals that Modi enjoys considerable support of the electorate and is credited with the rapid development of the temple town, which is thronged by the Hindus from across the world.
“The entire credit for whatever development that has taken place in the city goes to Modiji. The roads are wider, traffic congestion has eased, Ganga has also become cleaner,” says Ram Niwas Tripathi, a resident of Bhelupur locality in the city.
Read | Polls in UP ‘pro-incumbency’, people want BJP again: PM
Arun Kumar Upadhyaya, who lived in the Chowk area of the city, also echoed a similar sentiment. “You will not find any one who speaks against Modiji here…even his opponents can not deny that he has done a lot for the city,” Upadhyaya said.
Sadal Prasad, who had come to the city to pay obeisance at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple from the neighbouring Ghazipur district, also agreed with the claims of development. “I have been visiting the city for the past several years. Earlier it used to take more than an hour to reach from Cantt railway station to Dashashwamed Ghat owing to the traffic snarls because of the narrow roads. Now we can reach within 15-20 minutes,” he says.
People’s opinion in the city coupled with the fact that the BJP and its alliance partners had won all the eight seats in Varanasi district in the 2017 should leave no doubt that the saffron party was poised to repeat its old performance.
But the scene changes drastically as one moves into the rural pockets of the district in Rohaniya, Pindra, Shivpur and Sevapur assembly constituencies, where caste continues to play a crucial role in supporting a candidate.
“This time it will not be easy for the BJP to win all the seats. The Samajwadi Party (SP) is giving a tough fight to the BJP on many seats, especially in the rural areas,” says Amarnath Yadav, a resident of Mohan Sarai, a few kilometres from the city.
Similarly, Congress candidate from Pindra assembly seat Ajai Rai is also giving a tough fight to the BJP nominee. “It may surprise many but the Congress candidate is in a strong position here,” said Bhanu Pratap, a resident of Pindra.
Even in the city, BJP candidate and UP minister Neelkanth Tewari was locked in a close contest with the SP nominee Kishen Dixit on Varanasi South seat. A video showing Tewari seeking forgiveness of the electorate of his constituency for not being able to visit them also went viral recently.
That the fight in Varanasi was not easy could be gauged from the fact that Modi had to spend two days here to campaign for the party nominees. Modi not only held a roadshow in the city but also addressed an election meeting besides visiting many localities of the town. He enjoyed tea at a roadside stall near Assi and also had a taste of the iconic ‘paan’.
Interestingly many people, who voiced their support for Modi, appeared to be angry with the state government over shortage of fertilisers, stray cattle, cancellations of several competitive examinations following leakage of papers.
Locals feel that the desertion of the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), which enjoyed considerable influence over the Rajbhar voters and whose leader Om Prakash Rajbhar was now with the SP, could hurt the BJP’s prospects on at least three seats in the district, where Rajbhar voters were in sizable numbers. SP president Akhilesh Yadav also held a roadshow and addressed an election rally with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
It remains to be seen if Modi’s extended stay in his LS constituency does help his party maintain its grip on this saffron bastion.
Comments are closed.