PM, Akhilesh, Rahul: In last lap, their paths criss-cross Varanasi

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On Friday, Modi led a roadshow in support of BJP candidates in Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency.

Modi, who arrived here after addressing a rally in neighbouring Mirzapur, began the roadshow after garlanding a statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at Maldahiya crossing that’s part of the Varanasi North Assembly constituency.

Among those in the crowd that had assembled at the crossing even before the PM could arrive was Prakash Gautam, 21. A BSc student at a college in Babatpur, on the outskirts of Varanasi district, Gautam travels 22 km every day to his coaching class because “there are no good teachers in our college”. Yet, as he stood with his backpack, waiting for the PM, Gautam didn’t complain about unemployment or jobs – two of the hot button issues among youths this election.

“Things will improve when India becomes atma nirbhar (self-dependent). And that will take time. We should have patience when it comes to issues of national interest. It’s not true that recruitments have not been done in this government; yes, maybe a little slower.”

Soon after, as Modi arrived, the crowds surged on either side of the road. After garlanding the Sardar Patel statue, the road show began with Modi emerging through the sunroof and waving to the crowds as the vehicle inched forward.

Youths on motorbikes wearing saffron helmets and some others on skating wheels brought up the front end of the cavalcade. The crowd chanted “Jai Shri Ram” and “Har Har Mahadev” and showered the PM and his cavalcade with rose petals as the vehicle inched forward.

The road show covered the three assembly segments of Varanasi North, Varanasi South and Varanasi Cantonment. The BJP had won all three seats in 2017 and the party has repeated the sitting MLAs this time around. But none of the candidates were in any of the vehicles that were part of the cavalcade. Varanasi North candidate Ravindra Jaiswal was seen walking alongside the cavalcade.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was not part of the road show but his photographs were displayed prominently along with photos of the bulldozer to highlight his government crackdown on alleged criminals.

The road show ended at Godowliya near Kashi Vishwanath Dham temple, over 3 km away.

Modi will wind up his trip — and the party’s campaign – on Saturday with a public meeting in support of BJP candidates in the rural part of the district.

Later in the evening, SP’s Akhilesh Yadav too conducted a road show in Varanasi, a little after Modi wound up his campaign for the day. Yadav’s ‘Samajwadi Rath’ started from the Rath Yatra roundabout in Varanasi, before proceeding to cover the three Assembly seats — Cantonment, Varanasi North and Varanasi South.

Yadav was accompanied by the Opposition alliance’s candidates from the three constituencies – Pooja Yadav, Ashfaq Ahmad Dabloo and Kishan Dixit.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by his sister and AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, addressed a rally for party candidate Ajay Rai in Pindra Assembly constituency of Varanasi.