BJP makes merry in Varanasi, 'Har Har Modi' chant in air again

Though Narendra Modi, the BJP's prime minister designate, had urged party supporters to refrain from using the 'Har Har Modi' slogan in the future, party supporters couldn't resist intoning the chant after his victory was announced.

After Dwarka Shankarachayra Swaroopanand Saraswati objected to the 'Har Har Modi' slogan in favour of Narendra Modi, the BJP's prime minister designate had urged party supporters to refrain from using the slogan in the future.

The seer had said the slogan was a modification of the traditional chant 'Har Har Mahadev' raised to praise Lord Shiva.

But party supporters who broke into wild celebrations in the holy city soon after the news of Modi's victory was announced couldn't resist intoning both the chants together in the party's jam-packed office.

BJP national spokesperson Nalin Kohli danced to the beats of Punjabi dhol along with party workers who had smeared their faces with gulaal, giving the celebrations a tinge of Holi.

"It is a mandate for the change and an outburst against the 10-years of Congress' misrule at the Centre," Kohli said.

As the widescreen LCD TVs installed at several important spots in the city office flashed victory after victory for BJP leaders across the country, the celebrations got wilder. Every announcement was greeted with deafening drum roll.

Unable to restrain the overzealous party workers, Kohli beat a hasty retreat from the party office for BJP's war room at a prominent city hotel.

In a bid to outdo each other, some workers damaged furniture at the office. Women members of the party were not far behind their male counterparts in the celebrations.

Hordes of BJP workers who kept arriving at the party office in vehicles were treated to motichur ladoos, the famous Benarasi delicacy.

The holy city was the epicentre of electoral politics for the past two months because of a high-profile contest between Modi and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal.

On Friday, at every nook and corner of the city, political fervour took over religious fervour, with people discussing Modi's victory margin in Vadodara and BJP's landslide victory all across the country.

Now, all eyes are set on the BJP's grand welcome for Modi in the city scheduled for Saturday. He will offer special Ganga prayers at the historic Dashashwamedh ghat and then pay a visit to Kashi Vishwanath temple.

A road show from Lal Bahadur Shastri airport up to Varanasi's Vishwanath temple has been planned for Modi's first visit to the city after steering BJP to landslide victory in the Lok Sabha election.