Led by Union home minister Amit Shah, a battery of senior ministers stationed themselves here for a couple of days just to improve the margin of PM’s already-guaranteed win. Modi won by nearly 4.8 lakh votes in 2019. This time, the target is to cross 5 lakh.
In working towards this, Modi wrote personalised letters to more than 2,000 prominent Kashi citizens, and over 90,000 first-time voters, requesting them to come out and vote. The idea is that a higher turnout will ensure a higher margin. When Modi filed his nomination on May 13, the entire NDA pariwar walked with him. This is the kind of preparation the new BJP is known for. No room for rivals even in the safest seat in the country.
A city under transformation
It’s 11 pm. Priyanka Neelam (26) and Ruchita Neerudu (27) walk leisurely on Dashashwamedh ghat on the banks of the Ganga. “Nights are calm and serene, unlike the crowds during the evening aarti. It’s an enriching experience,” says Priyanka, a traveller from Telangana’s Warangal.
As the two climb down to touch the water, Ruchita says, “It’s so tranquil that I can sit and watch the sacred river for hours. The ghats are clean. Above all, there is no fear even with just the two of us alone here,” says Ruchita, an entrepreneur from Hyderabad.
Not just tourists, even residents acknowledge the transformation the city has undergone in the past 10 years. Since 2014, development projects worth Rs 45,000 crore have landed in the city. Of them, projects worth Rs 41,000 crore have been completed and the remaining are in progress. Over 8 crore pilgrims visited the city in 2023 alone, pumping Rs 21.5 crore into the city’s economy.
Kashi Vishwanath corridor, sewage infrastructure, Babatpur-Varanasi four-lane road and Tata cancer hospital have brought a visible transformation. But less talked about initiatives like underground power cabling and effective implementation of the National Clean Air Programme which saw 72% reduction in PM10 concentration level have a qualitative impact. Now, the city will have a ropeway — connecting Godowlia with Cantt Railway Station — making it the first in the country to have a ropeway for commuting inside the city.
“The development, particularly of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, has come as a blessing. The consistent flow of tourists has helped us set up a thriving homestay business,” says 24-year-old Aishwarya Sharma. Though Sharmas have a saree shop in the city, this newly set up homestay at Someshwar Gali, barely 200m from the temple, is helping them earn quick money. “It’s a one-sided election. With so many infrastructure projects, it’s a hat-trick for NaMo,” says her elder brother Aakash.
A non-BJP voter till 2014, Rameshwar Kapooria, 47, who stays at Gadwali Tola in the southern assembly constituency, says, “In 10 years, change is clearly visible in Kashi. Sewage infrastructure has strengthened. Underground cabling has been done. We have new roads around the temple. Most importantly, Kashi now has a huge influx of Indian tourists. Modiji ka margin to badega hi (Modi’s margin will increase),” he says.
His 17-year-old son Garv adds, “The temple corridor has given us more money but has taken our peace. The roads are more crowded. But with Modiji giving us a cricket stadium, we are more than happy.”
For 62-year-old farmer Matroo Patel from Pahadi Gaon in Rohaniya assembly constituency, the Phulwariya four-lane bridge is a boon as it saves his time travelling to the kacheri (local court). “Modiji promised us regular power supply and he has delivered on it. Unlike before, when there was less than 10 hours of power, we now have 18-20 hours of uninterrupted power supply,” Patel says.
“Modiji has given what a Banarasi wouldn’t even have dreamt of 10 years ago,” says Kaushal Kishore Mishra, a retired professor of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), adding: “How can they think of anyone else?”
Counter view
Sitting beside Mishra at the famous ‘Pappu Ki Adi’ is his friend Arvind Yogi. “No doubt development has taken place, but do they conform to Kashi’s spiri tual image?” he asks.
Echoing similar sentiment, 52-year-old Jyoti Sharma, who runs a school near Manmandir ghat for six decades, says, “Itna unorganised crowd hai ab, ab bache idhar aana hi nahi chahte (No child wants to come here because of the unorganised crowds). This despite the freebies.” Sharma has a total strength of 200 students from class 1 to 8 against 650 in 2019. “But there is no other alternative to Modi here,” he adds.
A resident of Sundarpur Bridge enclave from the Varanasi Cantt seat, Anil Kumar Singh, 47, a faculty of tourism management at BHU, says, “After Modi as our MP, Varanasi has a new identity. Tourism is flourishing but Kashi is now facing a management crisis. It’s time to put a check on the capacity to save Varanasi.”
PM’s rivals
Congress’s Ajay Rai, a five-time MLA, started his political journey with BJP, but quit the party after he was denied a ticket to contest LS polls in 2009. He contested against Modi in 2014 and 2019 but finished third both times. In 2019, Samajwadi Party candidate Shalini Yadav stood second with 1.9 lakh votes while Rai got over 1.5 lakh. This time, Rai is being backed by SP. Its chief Akhilesh Yadav held a joint rally with Rahul Gandhi in Rai’s support, while Dimple Yadav and Priyanka Gandhi took out a roadshow.
“Our cadres and members of the INDIA bloc are working in unison to oust Modi. The people of Kashi are supporting me with their whole heart,” Rai poses a brave front. A Janata Party veteran, Athar Jamal Lari, who contested his first elections in 1984, is the BSP candidate. As many as 55 contenders, including mimicry artiste Shyam Rangeela, had queued up to contest against Modi, but just six contenders are in the fray now.
Three generations of sitarists — Pt Shivnath Mishra, his son Debvrat Mishra and grandson Krishna Mishra — are happy about their improved prospects in Varanasi
A tale of two Padmas
Sitarist Pt Shivnath Mishra and his son Debvrat Mishra, who carry forward the tradition, now have disciples from all over the country and abroad. “Not so long ago, we would get meagre remunerations and people were wary of sending their children to Varanasi because of the scary stories about law and order, and crime,” Debvrat, fondly called Debu, says. “Even I wanted to move to the US or the UK. I was getting enough offers. But things have changed now. I am getting remuneration on a par with global standards and I’m travelling world over to perform,” he says.
Pt Mishra, 81, backs his son. “Modiji has done so much for the city and the country. He should continue doing the good work,” says the maestro, who represents Banaras Gharana of music. He served the music department of Sampurnanand Sanskrit University and was conferred Padma Shri in 2022.
Rajeshwar Acharya is a Hindustani classical vocalist and a jal tarang player. In 2019, he was conferred the Padma Shri. “While there are a lot of positive changes in Varanasi, I will talk of some basic ones. Earlier, I had to pay the municipal workers to get the garbage lifted. Now, you can see a clean road outside my house. Also, Modiji’s Swachh Bharat has instilled a sense of self-discipline in all.”
Then, on a cue, he switches over to something even more basic. “Till 10 years ago, women in villages avoided drinking water after sundown to avoid going to the toilet as it would mean going out in the open. Only those who have lived through such an ordeal can appreciate the transformation Modi’s toilets have brought. He was the target of much ridicule. People would say a PM is made for bigger things and he was talking about toilets,” he points out, sitting at his house near Assi Ghat.
Argumentative Banarasi
Pappu ki Adi, the famous tea joint, is a microcosm of the city and its free spirit. A few evenings before the city was to vote, a group of teachers were talking to mediapersons about the city’s metamorphosis.
“Had any person in Varanasi imagined that it would get a ropeway to commute?” asks K K Mishra. His buddy, Arvind Yogi counters, “City doesn’t need a ropeway, but a pathway.”
Pankaj Singh, a third from the group, explains: “Everyone here will vote for Modi. Plain and simple. They have accepted the development model. But don’t force a Banarasi into an argument by harping on the same thing again and again. They will start countering you.” Then he gives a parting line: “Chup chaap, kamal chhap (Silently, vote for lotus).”
