Varanasi District Magistrate Pranjal Yadav
Over the last year, a major transformation in Varanasi, the Prime Minister's constituency, has been gathered in the approach of Pranjal Yadav, the District Magistrate.
Last time this year, he issued orders that stopped the PM, then running for parliament from the holy city, from holding a rally in the heart of the city. Mr Yadav's actions generated large protests by the PM's party, the BJP. Today, Mr Yadav carefully coordinates - and helps implement - Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plans for the development of the 3,000-year-old city on the banks of the River Ganga.
When asked if their history has lent any awkwardness to their new working relationship , District Magistrate Yadav was circumspect before acknowledging, "It has not come up at all with my meetings with the Prime Minister.''
Mr Yadav also revealed how Mr Modi wants to spend the five crore allowance he gets as an MP for the development of Varanasi. "He has divided the money equally between five assembly constituencies (that make up Varanasi) and he will focus on handpumps,roads and solar lights,'' he said.
In May 2014, when Mr Yadav disallowed the PM's scheduled rally, top BJP leaders had demanded his removal from office for exhibiting "a bias" against their candidate.
Since the PM's thunderous election, Mr Yadav has met thrice with Mr Modi, who, he says, focused on the roadblocks that must be removed for Varanasi's development.
"The PM has an office here which reviews regularly all the work that we do,'' said Mr Yadav. He also was part of a delegation that travelled to Kyoto in Japan to study how ancient cities can develop without ruining their heritage.