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Riding on Modi show of strength in Kashi, BJP seeks consolidation in Purvanchal
The party expects voters to go its way in Varanasi and nearby seats of Bhadohi, Jaunpur, Azamgarh, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Ballia, Robertsganj, Allahabad, Lalganj, Ghosi, Salempur, Machlishahr and Mirzapur
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VARANASI Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s back-to-back shows of strength in Varanasi on Monday and Tuesday created ripples beyond his constituency and the BJP expects to draw benefits out of it for over 15 Lok Sabha constituencies in the vicinity as Modi attempted to send the message of his return to power at the centre for the third successive term.
Modi’s six-km-long mega road show from BHU gate to Kashi Vishwanath Dham on Monday sent signals of his government’s social-cultural outreach beyond Varanasi and projected the work done in Varanasi and the country over the last 10 years. If the road show had strong Hindutva signalling with ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Har Har Mahadev’ chants, then it also saw participation of groups of people from different states, religions and castes.
The biggest political chants in the road show were ‘400 paar’ and ‘assi ke assi’ (80 of 80) Lok Sabha seats in UP as these numbers had been crucial in 2014 and 2019 government formation for the BJP.
Of these 80 UP seats, the dual show is expected to impact 27 eastern UP seats that go to polls in the sixth and seventh phases of the elections. But the BJP is expecting a positive effect for itself on nearly 15 seats in closer vicinity of Varanasi. “The entire NDA is here...we are putting all our energies into it (polls) together,” said NDA ally and RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary.
In 2019, the BJP had suffered maximum defeats in these 27 seats during the last two phases. The Mahagathbandhan (the BSP-SP) won six of the 27 seats and the SP one. The BSP won Ambedkar Nagar, Shravasti, Lalganj, Jaunpur, Ghosi and Ghazipur while the SP won Azamgarh. In 2022 UP assembly elections, the SP and allies had a sizable victory in the eastern UP divisions—of the 102 seats in the five divisions of Basti, Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Varanasi, and Mirzapur, the BJP allies won 63 seats while the SP allies bagged 37.
Political analyst Prof Kaushal Kishore Mishra, former dean of the faculty of social sciences, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), said: “Modi’s twin show of strength in Varanasi will have a positive impact on all seats of Purvanchal region for the BJP. It will help strengthen the saffron party in Chandauli and Bhadohi where it is facing anti-incumbency. At the same time, it will also earn support for the ruling party in Jaunpur, Ghazipur and Ghosi where the BJP is caught in a triangular battle. Overall, the show of strength would be a boon for BJP candidates in Purvanchal region.”
UP allies of the BJP, including Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary, NDA chief ministers, ex-chief ministers from a dozen states and several union ministers were present at the nomination proceedings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While the seats of RLD influence area have already passed through the voting process, the time of all other UP allies of the BJP begins now as voting now moves to eastern UP areas.
The party expects voters to go its way in Varanasi and nearby seats of Bhadohi, Jaunpur, Azamgarh, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Ballia, Robertsganj, Allahabad, Lalganj, Ghosi, Salempur, Machlishahr and Mirzapur. Of these 14 seats, the BJP could not win Azamgarh in both 2014 and 2019 while it lost its 2014 seats - Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Lalganj, and Ghosi to the BSP (under Mahagathbandhan).
The presence of union ministers, alliance partners, chief ministers and former chief ministers was a picture of NDA’s strength for the remaining phases of polls in the rest of the country. The PM’s constituency is going to polls in the seventh and last phase of the Lok Sabha elections on June 1.
