Varanasi has become `naak ki ladai’ for the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi with over a dozen Union ministers and senior leaders having been para-dropped for leading small tolllies (groups) and garnering votes in the name of Modi.
The Holy City is set to turn into a battle ground on Saturday with Modi and Mayawati holding public meetings and Akhilesh and Rahul Gandhi holding a joint roadshow.
“You can get the feel the heat of elections. The buzz is in the air about a battle royale because Varanasi is `naak ki ladai’ for the PM. He might win 300 seats in UP but if the BJP loses Varanasi, it would be a loss of face for the party,” Professor in Banaras Hindu University Dr AK Sridhar said.
The academician said, “Walk down to any alley, locality or ghat and there is cent per cent chance that you will bump into some senior BJP leader. They might be addressing small crowds or eating jalebi and kachauri at Gadaulia or just strolling at the ghats. This shows that the BJP does not want to lose a single seat in Varanasi parliamentary constituency,” the Professor said.
On Thursday evening, people got a pleasant surprise in the form of BJP MP and Bhojpuri singer Manoj Tiwari singing songs of Goddess Sheetla Mata at Assi ghat. He pointed to the house where he used to stay while studying in BHU.
Union Textile minister Smriti Irani addressed a group of women at Churamanpur and spoke at the Union government’s pro-women schemes. She stressed that Varanasi will be voting on International Women’s Day.
Varanasi parliamentary constituency comprises five assembly seats – Varanasi Cantt, Varanasi South, Varanasi North, Rohaniya and Shivpur.
Realising that the BJP is a bit jittery, particularly regarding Varanasi parliamentary constituency, the Opposition has chalked out a strategy to keep leaders of saffron party confined to only this constituency.
Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh will hold a joint roadshow on Saturday aiming for an upset in three of the five Assembly segments that constitute Varanasi Parliamentary constituency represented by the Prime Minister..
Keeping this in mind, the 10 km long roadshow will start from the Kutchery and conclude at lahurabir. Earlier the roadshow was to culminate at Girijaghar - a church situated in Godaulia locality—close to Kashi Vishwanath and Kaal Bhairav temples but as the Prime Minister will also offer ‘puja’ in these temples in the evening, the roadshow was curtailed..
“Expect an upset this year. In 2012 Congress and SP had fought separately and together they polled more votes than the BJP in all three seats. Congress had finished runners-up in Varanasi South and Varanasi Cantt,” Congress spokesman Amarnath Agarwal said. “As per strategy Congress is contesting the urban seats while the SP has fielded its candidates in rural seats,” he said.
To counter the alliance strategy, the BJP has planned a three- day visit of Prime Minister to his Parliamentary constituency. On Saturday, he will arrive at 3 pm and leave for Delhi by 8.30 pm. In between, Modi will offer puja at Kashi Vishwanath and Kaal Bhairavi temples. Before leaving for Delhi. the PM will address a meeting at Kashi Vidyapeeth. He will return on Sunday and stay put for a day.
Mayawati, on other hand will address rally in Rohaniya on Saturday.