Countering Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to shrines and the subsequent roadshow in Varanasi on Saturday, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi conducted an equally impressive roadshow with youths and Muslims making up the numbers.
Huge crowd could be seen accompanying the motorcade carting the two haveyweights from the starting point at Ambedkar crossing till its conclusion at Godoulia.
Hours before the Akhilesh-Rahul roadshow, PM Modi had stamped his charisma by taking out an impressive roadshow from BHU gate to Kashi Vishwanath Temple with people in lakhs lining up along roadside to welcome the local MP. Though, Modi was to visit KVT for offering puja, his visit assumed the form of a roadshow as he decided to receive greetings of the local people by making the trip in an open jeep.
Meanwhile, Akhilesh and Rahul reached Ambedkar crossing two hours from scheduled time, around 2.40 pm, and by that time people particularly youths turned up in thousands. The huge crowd presence brought smiles to the both leaders. Party workers of SP and Congress welcomed their leaders with slogans of ‘Jai Akhilesh’ and ‘Rahul Gandhi zindabad’.
As teh SP-Congress reached Muslim-dominated area of Alaipura, much enthusiasm was noticed with the locals from minority community showering petals on both leaders. Muslim women also showed their enthusiasm by welcoming Akhilesh and Rahul.
With a large number of supporters and onlookers accompanying the motorcade, the roadshow trudged its way and took almost an hour and a half to rerach neighbouring Pilikothi - another Muslim dominated area.
Curiosity and enthusiasm were seen among Muslims including women to see both the leaders, who accepted their greetings with smiles and waved hands. If Saturday’s enthusiasm among the local Muslims is any indicator, then the BSP leadership might have to thrash out other ways and measns to woo the Muslim voters of Varanasi.
Both leaders chose the Muslim dominated localities on their route to send across a strong signal to the community that they were the ‘real’ well wishers and if they voted en block for their candidates, the results of some segments of the Holy City could seen a change this time.
In Maidagin and Chowk localities of City Assembly segment too which is considered BJP bastion, both leaders were given a rousing welcome as they drove by. The roadshow ended at Godoulia but the turnout might just have kindled the hope among the two SP-Congress poster boys on wresting at least one seat from the BJP this time round.