After PM's campaign in Varanasi, BJP confident to repeat 2017 performance

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day stay in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi, the BJP is now hoping to sweep all the assembly seats of the district once again.

Varanasi:After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day stay in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi, the BJP is now hoping to sweep all the assembly seats of the district once again.

A Varanasi BJP functionary claims that Prime Minister Modi's campaign has turned the tide in favour of the party and the saffron party will repeat 2017 performance by winning all the seats of the district like it did in 2017.

Eight assembly constituencies - Varanasi South, Varanasi North, Varanasi Cantt, Shivpuri, Sevapuri, Rohaniya, Ajagara and Pindra -- come under Varanasi district. In 2017, the BJP and its alliance won all the eight assembly seats. BJP is facing challenges on a few seats this time from opposition candidates and in some areas people are also expressing their anger against sitting MLAs.

After the Prime Minister camped in the city and held a road show covering three assembly seats, the local cadre openly started pointing out that the situation has changed before polling on Monday. The Prime Minister stayed in his parliamentary constituency for two days before the end of campaign on Saturday evening.

Varanasi BJP leader mentioned that there is a tough challenge from Opposition candidates or strong anti-incumbency against MLAs in two to three constituencies but with the end of campaigning, the situation is favourable in all the seats of the district.

"Minister in the Yogi government, Neelkanth Tiwari is facing personal anti-incumbency but after the Prime Minster's roadshow, anger has come down. Internal feedback shows positive signal for Tiwari," he said.

Prime Minister Modi's dream project Kashi Vishwanath corridor and Kashi Vishwanath Temple fall under the South Varanasi assembly seat. The Samajwadi Party has fielded Kameshwar Dixit, head of Maha Mrityunjay temple. Vijay, a resident of Varanasi South, told IANS that local MP (Prime Minister Modi) is more visible in the constituency than local MLA Tiwari.

"Tiwari, who failed to win a corporation election, became MLA for the first time in 2017 due to the Modi wave. Large section of voters in the area believes that the Prime Minister's roadshow will swing votes in Tiwari's favour once again," Vijay, a shopkeeper said. A senior BJP district functionary said that the roadshow has also given boost to Saurabh Srivastava in Varanasi Cantt against former Lok Sabha member and Congress candidate Rajesh Mishra.

"There is no doubt that the Prime Minister connecting with the people of his constituency will help the party candidates who are facing personal anti-incumbency. Earlier, we were in doubt on a couple of seats but now we are confident of winning all the eight seats like 2017," Varanasi BJP leader added.

IANS