UP Elections 2017: Varanasi, PM Modi's parliamentary constituency, votes in the 7th phase on March 8
Highlights
- In last leg of UP polls, all parties plan to carpet bomb Varanasi
- PM Modi will be in his constituency,Varanasi, on March 5 for rallies
- Varanasi votes on March 8; counting for all rounds on March 11
It is destination Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as parties gear up for the last two rounds of polling in the marathon Uttar Pradesh assembly election. The elections are now in the eastern part of the massive state and polling will be held for 89 seats in 14 districts on March 4 and 8.
Over the next few days, political parties plan to carpet bomb Varanasi and adjoining areas and Saturday, March 4, will be a logistics nightmare for the local administration. PM Modi will campaign that day in his constituency while another part of UP votes, as will the Akhilesh Yadav-Rahul Gandhi team and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati.
The BJP, which hopes to replicate its sweep of UP in the 2014 national elections, has moved its entire brass to eastern UP, where it has been forced to counter a rebellion by supporters of powerful local leader and priest Yogi Adityanath. They are upset that he has not been named the party's presumptive chief minister. The UP elections are seen as a bellwether for the next general elections in 2019.
PM Modi may turn his constituency into an operational base from March 3, sources said. Already camped in the region are union minister Rajnath Singh, BJP chief Amit Shah and other top central ministers. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will pass through on Sunday, on his way to Nepal for a meeting.
On March 3, PM Modi will address a rally in Mirzapur, about 60 km away from Varanasi. The next day, he will campaign in Jaunpur, before returning to Varanasi where he will address a public meeting at Kashi Vidyapeeth. He may also visit the famous Vishwanath and Kaal Bhairav temples.
On the same day, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party will hold a 13-km road show along with his partner and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi. Starting at 1 pm, they will travel through Varanasi's Kutchehry (court) area to Lanka, where the famous Benaras Hindu University or BHU is located, covering all three assembly segments in Varanasi city.
The Samajwadi Party also plans two public meetings in Varanasi to be addressed by Akhilesh Yadav one at Allahabad road in Varanasi and the other Ajgara before the
road show.
District administration is trying to ensure that the road show and PM rally crowds get different channels for movement.
Ms Mayawati will address a public rally in Varanasi on the same day at Rohania, which much to the relief of the district administration is far from the Varanasi city and may not clash with the BJP and SP-Congress events.
With three top formations holding show of strengths on the same day, each party will make an effort to outdo the others on crowd size and thousands, even lakhs, of political workers and supporters will be out in the narrow lanes of the ancient city at the same time.
Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Yadav from Bihar has been in Varanasi for the last two days and addressed two rallies yesterday. He may address another today, appealing for votes for Akhilesh Yadav.
Varanasi votes in the seventh and final phase and on the last day of campaigning, Amit shah will hold a road show here. PM Modi will be in Varanasi on March 5 for rallies in Pindra and Ajgara. He may spend the night in Varanasi.
Votes for all rounds of the UP elections and polling held in four other states will be counted on March 11.