The Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi came under the national spotlight back in 2014 when the Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi won the seat by a margin of 3.7 lakh votes. Since then, Modi’s charisma and appeal have dominated the VIP seat, making it very difficult for any opposition party to make a significant mark.
Modi retained the seat in 2019 with an increased margin of 4.8 lakh votes and is set to contest from the constituency for the third time this year. BJP leaders in the area have announced their bold ambition of ‘Ab ki baar 10 lakh paar’ in terms of votes and a 7-lakh victory margin. The seat has been a BJP stronghold since 1991 with a near-perfect record, disrupted only once by Congress’s victory in 2004.
PM Modi’s Varanasi report card has listed the Kashi Vishwanath corridor, construction of ring roads, development of an efficient road and bridge network, a cancer hospital, building of a cricket stadium, and cleanliness as key achievements and infrastructure projects.
News18 interviewed residents of the constituency, local leaders, opposition candidates, and even tourists to gauge the effect of the Modi factor and the plausibility of BJP’s goals in the constituency.
The only debate here seemed over what would be the margin of Modi’s win.
‘He has a familial, emotional connection with everyone here’
Arun Pathak, a member of the Uttar Pradesh legislative council, believes that Modi is not an outsider to this constituency, but instead is a family member for all the residents. “Modiji has a familial and emotional connection with every person in Varanasi. He has understood their struggles and problems and worked to solve them,” Pathak said. “He is a son, brother, and father for everyone here.”
Modi’s campaign in Varanasi is limited to only a roadshow after which he files his nomination, and still sweeps the seat with a big margin. Commenting on that, Shashi Kumar, co-convener of BJP’s IT cell in Kashi, said Modi doesn’t need to come just to contest elections like the opposition parties. But instead, as PM, he has visited the holy city over 50 times, more than any other Prime Minister in history.
“The effectiveness of Modi’s Swachh Bharat Mission is seen in Kashi, with the constituency’s cleanliness serving as an example for the rest of the country,” said BJP leader Mohit Beniwal. “From Kashi to Ayodhya, the whole of UP sees development flowing through.”
Popular slogans like ‘Modi jaisa koi nahi’ and ‘Modi hai aur rahenge’ echoed through the popular Kashi Chat Bhandar as workers praised the PM for the development he’s done that has greatly increased tourism in the city, boosting economic growth.
Speaking on the development of the Kashi Vishwanath corridor, some scholars of ancient Varanasi attributed the city’s strength as a centre for science, religion, and culture to Prime Minister Modi. “He is a PM who doesn’t look at the India of today but instead envisions it as a world leader. He strives to return India to its previous levels of glory, and is using religion and culture to unite the country,” they said.
At a tea stall near the Dashashwamedh Ghat, a Varanasi resident said Modi has his vote because of everything he is doing for the Hindu religion. “We all will vote for him on the topic of religion. We are voting for him because he is spreading and promoting our religion. He will build many more temples if he comes to power again,” he said.
The opposition
A significant number of candidates are set to contest Varanasi’s elections against PM Modi. Congress’s Ajay Rai, the Bahujan Samaj Party’s Athar Jamal Lari, comedian and popular Modi mimic Shyam Rangeela, 111 farmers from Tamil Nadu, and a transgender activist have announced that they will contest from the seat.
Rai, Congress’s UP chief, will fight for the Varanasi seat against Modi for the third time. Since 2009, he has been contesting from the constituency but has come in third every time. Rai started his political career as a karyakarta (worker) in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and then joined the BJP. However, after being denied the Varanasi Lok Sabha ticket in 2007, he left the party to join the Samajwadi Party. In 2012, he switched to the Congress.
His re-nomination as the INDIA bloc’s candidate reflects the Congress’s reluctance to experiment with and adopt different strategies in an essential seat with great symbolic value.
Rai is set to file his nomination on May 10, following a bicycle procession to showcase his strength.
Ajay’s ‘Rai’
“The BJP’s government hasn’t fulfilled any of its election promises and guarantees – unemployment, corruption, and inflation continue to be major issues the whole country is tackling,” Rai said to News18.
Labelling Modi as an outsider from Gujarat, he said the only development done in Varanasi was by Gujaratis to serve their own interests and line their pockets. “In Varanasi, whatever development happened was incomplete, unorganised, and cosmetic. No actual work was done, they just portrayed failed work as very grand,” he said.
Speaking about what else Modi could do in the constituency, some residents said: “Congestion, poverty, and inflation are major issues, especially for the middle-class population. While Modiji’s intentions are good, corruption, deceit, and loot hinder his work. His intentions are yet to translate into party workers below him.”
Observers say Modi’s sway over the residents coupled with the Congress’s previously tried and failed strategy of Rai as the opposition candidate has made the Varanasi election a virtual no-contest and clear one-sided sweep.
Check Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.
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