TNN, Varanasi :
The holy city is in a state of confusion with too many suitors putting its social fabric under stress. People wake up every morning to a new twist in the gladiatorial fight between Narendra Modi and Arvind Kejriwal.
Samajwadi Party contestant Kailash Chaurasia is virtually inconsequential and waits for the Mulayam-Akhilesh duo to show up and turn the tide in his favour. Even then, SP’s core voters know the battle of Varanasi has been scripted without assigning any role to the ruling party, not even that of an extra.
But AAP volunteers and leaders say no battle is over till it is over. They are waiting for a surprise and each positive move is analysed threadbare. JD(U)’s decision to support Kejriwal is seen as AAP’s growing popularity.
As for Modi and Kejriwal, the city is divided over them. From elite Bhelupura homes to the serpentine lanes of Rasulpur that house weavers’ karkhanas and dwellings, everyone loves Kejriwal’s resolve, his gutsy ways but seem to know who the winner will be. Some like educationist Deepak Madhok, a leading light of the city who has taken on the administration for its creaky civic amenities, regret Kejriwal didn’t contest from a second constituency.
A senior RSS functionary finds the contest interesting but claims Modi’s campaign got over even before Kejriwal’s began. “We started last December. Now, for more than a month we’re working to ensure our supporters vote. In 2009, Murli Manohar Joshi nearly lost because of casual BJP supporters. The margin this time should be befitting a PM candidate. It is Varanasi’s duty. You don’t get PM candidates so easily,” he says. The RSS pracharak’s confidence is astounding. Modi, he insists, is now integral to every facet of Banarsi Hindu life – its ghats, neighbourhood deities called Bir Babas, the bhajan mandalis. Work by RSS and its front organizations in creating a Hindutva brand based on a magical tale is something business schools will teach one day.
