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Lok Sabha Elections 2019: In a first, Varanasi has a Prime Minister as candidate
Besides PM Modi -- the BJP candidate from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)-Samajwadi Party (SP) alliance and the Congress, 15 smaller parties have also fielded their candidates.
For the first time, the Varanasi parliamentary constituency has a prime minister as one of the candidates.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is BJP candidate here and Samajwadi Party has fielded Shalini Yadav. Congress has repeated its candidate and fielded Ajay Rai who contested the last election on Congress ticket.
Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Phase 7 Voting: Follow live updates here
Varanasi is a constituency with a difference for many reasons. It is the cultural capital of India and is a hub of art and music. Its ghats, famous for their natural beauty, draw tourists from across the globe.
The city, also known as Kashi, is the abode of Baba Kashi Vishwanath and also has the temple of Baba Kaal Bhairav, who is called the Kotwal of Kashi.
It is also known for nurturing the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb of communal amity and rich cultural heritage. Due to the city’s association with Sant Ravidas, Sant Kabir Das and Tulsidas, spirituality flows in the lanes and ghats.
People of Varanasi have deep interest in politics and it is one of the most favourite point of discussion at public places and roadside tea stalls.
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Besides the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)-Samajwadi Party (SP) alliance and the Congress, 15 smaller parties have also fielded their candidates. Even seven Independent candidates, including a turmeric farmer from Osmanbad Istari Sunnam, are also trying their luck from Varanasi.
Varanasi has nearly 41% upper caste voters, 38% OBCs, 13.10% Muslims and 6% Dalits.
Prof Kaushal Kishore Mishra, who teaches political science at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), says: “Election is quite predictable in Varanasi as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in the poll fray from here. Despite this, the ruling party is working hard to make its victory a historic one.”
“Election would have been interesting, had the opposition pitted a political heavyweight against PM Modi,” he added.
Though Varanasi is considered to be a BJP bastion, the Congress has won this seat seven times in the past.
The BJP has emerged victorious on six occasions. Others have won the seat thrice.
Raghunath Singh of the Congress won the seat in 1952, 1957 and 1962. In 1967, the Congress suffered a setback when Satya Narayan Singh of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) was elected.
The CPI(M), however, couldn’t retain the seat in 1971 when locals reposed faith in the Congress and elected Rajaram Shastri.
In 1977, the Congress lost to the Bharatiya Lok Dal-Janata Party candidate Chandra Shekhar, who represented Varanasi till 1980.
Later in 1990, Chandra Shekhar became the prime minister.
In 1980 and 1984, Pt Kamlapati Tripathi and Shyam Lal Yadav won the seat for the Congress. Five years later, Anil Shastri of the Janata Dal bagged the seat in 1989.
The BJP first tasted victory here in 1991 when its candidate Shirish Chandra Dikshit defeated Raj Kishore of the CPI (M).
The BJP changed its candidate in the next general election and fielded Shankar Prasad Jaiswal who went on to score a hat-trick, bagging the seat in 1996, 1998 and 1999.
The BJP lost the seat to Congress’s Rajesh Mishra in 2004. In 2009, senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi was elected from here. In 2014, the BJP’s then prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi defeated Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal in a high-profile contest.
