Arvind Kejriwal shows off strength in Varanasi

Varanasi: Election fever in Varanasi is reaching its peak, with only hours to go before the frenzied campaign that the holy city witnessed in the past few weeks comes to an end on Saturday evening. Hours after BJP PM candidate Narendra Modi brought the temple city to a grinding halt on Thursday, it was AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal’s turn to flex his muscles on Friday.

On Saturday, the city is all set to witness Rahul Gandhi entering Mr Modi’s territory to hold a roadshow. Rahul is expected to reach Varanasi around 6.30 am, and will kick off his 6-km roadshow around 8.15 am from Gol Gadda and end it around 11.15 am at Lanka Chowk.

Later Saturday UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and his father, Samajwadi boss Mulayam Singh Yadav, are likely to do the same to whip up support for the SP’s Kailash Prasad Chaurasia, who seems to have got lost in this mayhem between the BJP, AAP and Congress. In fact, the SP and BSP appear to be fighting for the fourth slot.

Earlier on Friday, BSP supremo Mayawati addressed a rally, making it clear that there was “no way” her party would extend any support to a Narendra Modi-led BJP.

The BJP kept up the pressure on Friday, with Mr Modi’s close aide Amit Shah declaring that a BJP-led NDA will win at least 300 Lok Sabha seats. Asked if there was any possibility of striking a friendly deal with Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who has been relentlessly targeting Mr Modi, an unruffled Mr Shah said: “We don’t believe in political untouchability.”

On Friday, AAP boss Arvind Kejriwal ventured out for his roadshow, that started at Lanka Chowk and wound through the city to end at Town Hall. In Varanasi, while Mr Modi is still the clear frontrunner, Friday’s roadshow made it evident that Mr Kejriwal and his white-capped AAP army had stood their ground and would provide a strong challenge to the saffron titan. The entire 7.5-km stretch covered by Mr Kejriwal turned white with AAP caps and flags. In some areas, women and children waited with garlands to welcome that “honest man”. In Muslim belts the crowds swelled further, making it clear that a large chunk of the 3.5-lakh Muslim vote could go into the AAP’s kitty. Emboldened by the crowd, Mr Kejriwal declared “Modi is losing the Varanasi election”.

Read: Narendra Modi will lose Varanasi, declares AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal

But whatever the final outcome, the BJP is in no mood to take Mr Kejriwal’s challenge lightly. As the huge AAP procession snaked its way through the streets, lanes and bylanes of Varanasi, batches of BJP supporters could be seen waving saffron flags and making a desperate bid to drown the AAP roar with chants of “Har Har Modi”.

The atmosphere near Dashashwamedh Ghat was electric, charged and tense, as sloganeering and counter-slogans by AAP and BJP supporters rent the air. Strong police deployment ensured that the saffron supporters could not get anywhere near the AAP roadshow. From a distance and under neon lights one could see a blend of white and saffron flags fluttering all over. As AAP supporters on their handheld speakers screamed “Yeh shahar hain aam aadmi ka”, saffronites roared back with their much-used slogan of “Har Har Modi”.

There were allegations that some AAP supporters such as actress Gul Panag were heckled near BHU. Gul Panag later tweeted: “Things heated up during an interaction with #BHU students. Got away before things escalated. (Raghu) WAS attacked. Is now safe.”

Read: Varanasi roadshow: AAP leader Gul Panag, VJ Raghu chased away by group of BHU students

That Mr Kejriwal has been able to make a considerable impact became evident with people pouring out on the streets to speak to him, see him and shake hands. All the AAP leaders had come to the temple city to rally around their leader.

In this David vs Goliath battle between Mr Kejriwal and Mr Modi, the Congress’ Ajai Rai is still struggling to make his presence felt. There were rumours that senior Congress leaders had met leading Muslim maulanas to make a last-ditch attempt to drum up support for the party. But unlike the BJP and AAP, the Congress Party’s campaign seems to have lost its sting. On Friday evening, hours before Rahul Gandhi’s arrival, the party seemed to have woken up from its slumber as one could see small batches of Congress supporters moving around Varanasi with party flags. If the Congress’ activities could not be seen or felt on the ground (Ajai Rai claimed there was an undercurrent in the Congress’ favour), the Taj Hotel was abuzz with the movement of Congress leaders.

As AAP and BJP leaders were out in the blistering heat sweating it out, some Congress leaders and the party’s star campaigners were seen giving photo-ops to admirers. There seemed no sense of urgency, concern or aggression among Congress leaders to take on powerful adversaries. It seemed the party has left it to candidate Ajai Rai to do the needful. Or its leaders may just be waiting for Rahul Gandhi to turn the tide on Saturday morning.