VARANASI: It’s Subah-e-Banaras... As the nascent sun emerges on the horizon over glittering waves of the Ganga, Varanasi, the city of salvation and now the centre of all the political action in UP, gradually comes to life like a painting, depicting the calmness of a winter morning.
Kashi along with eight other districts will celebrate the festival of democracy on Monday, culminating the seven-phase battle for UP. Varanasi has eight Assembly seats, and retaining all the eight is a prestige issue for the BJP as it is PM Modi’s parliamentary constituency.
Sitting MLAs attract ire
The PM camped in the city for two days till the high-octane campaign ended on Saturday evening. He held roadshows and delivered speeches to seek another term for the Yogi Adityanath government.
Evidently, the BJP is banking upon Modi’s charisma to sail through in Varanasi where the party’s sitting MLAs are facing strong anti-incumbency.
In 2017, of the eight Assembly segments comprising three urban — Varanasi Cantt, Vanaransi North and Varanasi South — and five semi-urban — Pindra, Rohiniya, Sevapuri, Shivpur and Ajagara (SC) — BJP had won six and its allies Apna Dal (S) and OP Rajbhar’s SBSP one each. Rajbhar is now in alliance with the SP. This time, Apna Dal (S) is contesting on two seats and BJP on six.
Both Akhilesh Yadav and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have also camped in Varanasi to shore up the prospects of the SP and Congress, respectively. However, Varanasi electorate still sound besotted with the charisma of PM Modi and the works of UP CM Adityanath while directing all the anger towards the sitting MLAs.
“We will only vote for Modi and Yogi. There is no fear now to move around at night. We feel secure,” says Rajiv Tiwari readily joined by his wife Kshama: “Modi-Yogi are unmatched,” refusing to comment on the leadership of Akhilesh. “It is Har Har Yogi, Ghar Ghar Modi in Varanasi,” she says.
On a silent evening by the Ganga, Dharmesh Saini, a boatman, oozes his heart out. Rowing over waves of Ganga for 25 years, he yearns for a CNG version to replace his three-decade-old boat which he has taken on rent. A CNG boat for Dharmesh would mean more money in less effort. However, the cost of a CNG boat seems beyond his reach even if he takes a loan. “I can still dream and hope that Yogiji will help me and many like me to own a CNG boat as Varanasi is his boss’s constituency,” says Dharmesh.
On the other, Dheeraj Saini, another boatman, feels the heat of inflation and price rise but supports Adityanath as he got a boat licence and free CNG. “No previous government helped us like this. Ghats have become cleaner and beautiful to draw tourists who spend hours here,” admits Dheeraj.
Vinay Yadav, owner of a garment shop near the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, is an exception in the caste-ridden political arena. He is a BJP office-bearer. Yadav claims Modi’s arrival as MP has melted the caste boundaries in the ancient city.
“Sangathan mein jaan phhoonk kar chale gaye (he has rejuvenated the cadre),” Yadav exudes confidence of victory. The biggest change in the city has come in the form of Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. “It was beyond imagination to have a grand Corridor of Baba Vishwanath in the middle of a congested city. But Modi has made it mumkin (possible),” says Vinay Gupta, a businessman, who claims he was once against the idea of change in the contours of city as it would have changed its flavor. “I was wrong. The essence of the city of Varanasi is intact,” he says.
If improvement in law and order is the most perceptible change in Varanasi for Aarti, a research scholar in BHU, Sarvesh Yadav, pursuing post graduation from BHU, says unemployment is the main issue. “BJP government might have done a lot of good things, but it has failed to address unemployment. Competitive exams have become a mockery. Either paper is leaked or results are challenged. I will vote for change,” says Sarvesh.
Divided opinion
The anti-incumbency against the sitting MLAs is driving a wedge in the families. While Anjani Nandan Upadhyaya had made up his mind to vote for SP in Varanasi South seat where the sitting MLA and cabinet minister Neelkanth Tiwari is facing a strong challenge by SP candidate and head priest of Mahamritunjay temple, Kamshwar Nath Dixit alias Kishan Dixit, his wife was adamant about voting for Modi. “Modi’s road show has made me realise that I can’t betray him by voting for SP,” says Updhyaya who otherwise was angry with the sitting MLA.
“Change is sure. Even Modi will not be able to stop it. BJP MLAs are seeking apology but people of Kashi have made up their mind to back the SP,” says Rajesh Patel, a school teacher. On the contrary, for a BHU employee seeking anonymity, a change in the government at the Centre in 2014 followed by a change in the state itself has paved the way for better living conditions in Varanasi.
“Ahead of every festival there used to be groups seeking donations better called rangdari (extortion). The police used to behave like an organised mob. We used to look forward to (former SP minister) Shivpal Yadav’s visits because that was the only time we would have uninterrupted power,” he recalls.
Issues galore
However, as one traverse the semi-urban pockets, the issues of stray cattle, demand for increasing MSPs and procurement centre in villages dominate the discourse but the overriding caste factor rings the most on the ground.
Key seats set for big fights include Varanasi (North) where BJP’s two-time MLA Ravindra Jaiswal is in the fray, Varanasi (South) where BJP minister Neelkanth Tiwari is taking on SP’s Kameshwar Nath Dikshit in a ‘Brahmin vs Brahmin fight’, Pindra seat where Congress leader Ajay Rai is seeking election and Shivpur seat where minister Anil Rajbhar is taking on SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar’s son Arvind.
The contest in Sewapuri seat is significant as it has three villages — Jayapur, Nagapur and Kakarhia — adopted by PM Modi under the MP Adarsh Gram Yojana. Sewapuri has also been recognised as a “model block” by the NITI Aayog for development, a point that Shukla is raising in the campaign.
