No smooth run for Modi in Uttar Pradesh

Varanasi: In caste-ridden Uttar Pradesh, despite the visible impact of BJP’s PM candidate Narendra Modi, crossing 30 Lok Sabha berths could still be a long march ahead for the lotus brigade.

In eastern UP, the stronghold of the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, a selection of “good” candidates and strong and efficient booth management hold the key for the BJP. A senior RSS functionary G.C. Tripathi, made it clear, “For the party, 50 per cent would go to candidate selection and 20 per cent booth management in this region could give the BJP a strong edge.” He added, “Mr Modi’s impact would be nearly 30 per cent.”

Meanwhile, if the Congress was found missing in Allahabad, Phoolpur and Kaushambi Lok Sabha berths, the names of Sonia Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal surfaced among a section of Harijans, Mallahs (boatmen) and Muslims here in Varanasi, a BJP stronghold. However, the main fight in Varanasi Lok Sabha berth could be between the BJP, BSP and SP.

Nestled between Allah-abad and Varanasi is Sant Rabidas Nagar, an OBC and Yadav dominated belt. Running a roadside restaurant is Siyaram Yadav, who seemed to have benefited economically under the SP and BSP regimes in the state. But Mr Yadav now seemed angry with the SP and BSP. “These parties think only of Muslims. We are being neglected at the cost of Muslim appeasement. We will try Modi this time," he said.

This anger, and a possible shift, is emerging as a major concern for Mulayam Singh Yadav. They are blaming the SP for “favouring Muslims” and Mr Modi’s Hindutva image seems to be working for this disillusioned section of Yadavs. But a few yards from his restaurant is a small dhaba that belongs to Ramesh Yadav, who made it clear his vote was for ‘Netaji’ (Mulayam Singh Yadav).

A senior BJP functionary observed that there is a split among the Yadavs not because of Mr Modi’s development plank but due to Mulayam Singh Yadav’s “policy of Muslim appeasement.”

As one enters Varanasi, the holiest of the holy cities, the smell of faeces, food and faith hangs over the narrow dirty lanes and bylanes. In front of the BJP headquarters a small crowd of saffron activists welcomed a local leader with chants of “Jai Shree Ram.” The overtly religious character of this city makes Varanasi a strong bastion of the BJP to be defended by the sitting MP, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi.

Despite being religious and saffron in nature, caste plays a major role in the Varanasi region. Of the 14 Lok Sabha seats, the BJP had managed to win only Varanasi in 2009. Sanjay Bharadwaj, BJP media in-charge for Varanasi region, admitted caste politics in UP, and in this region, had always worked against the BJP.

He was hopeful that Mr Modi “might cut across the caste divide” and that the party was “working hard.”  Mr Bharadwaj, while echoing RSS functionary G.C. Tripathi’s line, said, “We have Joshiji in Varanasi, but, in other seats, we need to field good candidates. In this region even the middle class votes on caste lines. Therefore even though Modiji has made quite a dent, this can only be translated into votes by sheer organisational work at the macro level.”

Though Varanasi is being regarded as a “safe seat” for the BJP, it seemed Congress president Sonia Gandhi (and not the Congress as a party) continued to have some impact among the Harijans.

Near Varanasi is Phoo-lwari village, dominated by Harijans. This was a traditional Congress vote bank but it now seems divided. Prabhu, a 70-year-old

rickshaw-puller, said that no matter what, he would vote for Mrs Gandhi.

Ask him whether he has heard of Rahul Gandhi, the old man and his wife,

living in a mud hut, scratched their heads and said, “No... we’ll vote for Sonia Gandhi.” But

there were others, like Ramu who cleans the drains of the city, who want to vote for Mr Modi. “Everyone is happy in Gujarat. There is much poverty... there are no jobs here,” was his argument in Mr Modi”s favour.