With the Uttar Pradesh elections entering the last leg with polling for sixth and penultimate phase on March 3, Varanasi is set to be the centre of campaign.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be going to stay in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi for three days — from March 3 to March 5, the last day of canvassing for the seventh phase of elections. On March 3—when polling will be going on in 57 seats of the sixth phase, Modi will be addressing public meetings in Jaunpur and Chadauli districts.
Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will address a joint public meeting in Varanasi the same day. SP’s rally will be for the Assembly constituencies of four districts—Varanasi, Mirzapur, Chandauli and Bhadohi.
Varanasi district includes eight Assembly segments.
In the 2017 elections, BJP had won six seats, while its allies Apna Dal (S) and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) had won one each. In the current election, SBSP is contesting in alliance with the SP. “Apart from rallies, Modi is most likely to lead a roadshow in the city in support of the BJP candidates, just like he had done in 2017 elections,” said a BJP leader.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other senior functionaries from the central and state party unit are expected to camp in Varanasi with the PM to monitor the party’s campaign in Varanasi and adjoining districts. “Election results in Varanasi district will be a matter of prestige for PM Modi, and they will hold significance also for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. CM Adityanath had been a frequent visitor to Varanasi to review progress of development works. Apart from him, Union ministers and secretaries of their ministries have travelled a lot to Varanasi in the past eight years for supervising implementation of development and welfare schemes,” said a BJP leader.
On March 4, PM will address rallies in Mirzapur and Bhadohi.
In December, the PM met MLAs of Assembly segments of his Lok Sabha constituency.