Varanasi: For voters in Sewapuri and Pindra rural constituencies in Varanasi district, the biggest problem they have this election is not roads or water, inflation or unemployment. It is the sitting BJP legislators the party has decided to field once again in the assembly elections.
Like other districts, the ruling BJP has given tickets to most of its sitting legislators in Varanasi who have been facing the wrath of public for not being active in the area. Despite Modi magic still working on the urban seats of Varanasi, the party workers and leaders are finding it tough to pacify the agitated voters in the rural areas. For the BJP which otherwise has been finding it comfortable against opposition alliance led by Samajwadi Party in the Varanasi city, is toiling hard on the rural assembly seats of Pindra and Sewapuri.
“If PM Modi comes to Varanasi once a month surely the MLA could have shown his face once in 5 years?” asks a voter.
Like Neelratan Patel, the Samajwadi Party candidate Surendra Singh Patel is also Kurmi by caste. Many Kurmi voters say they wish the BJP had changed the candidate, naming at least two other contenders.
“We are happy with Yogi and Modi and the state government,” said another voter. “But if we have to get any work done it is the MLA we need.”
A booth committee in charge in Satanpur village of Sewapuri assembly seat said that the party should have changed the ticket but it did not and now we have to answer the questions asked by voters. He however said that things would change after PM Modi would come for three days and do extensive campaigning.
According a BJP worker in Hathi Bazar of Sewapuri seat, the problem arises when people start comparing our candidate with always available SP candidate Surendra Patel. Unlike the sitting BJP legislator, the SP candidate has been quite active in the area and is popular among people.
Similar is the situation in the Pindra assembly seat of Varanasi rural where sitting BJP legislator Awadhesh Singh is facing a popular Congress leader Ajay Rai. The BJP supporters as well as local leaders were demanding a change in candidate but it was not done. Now the BJP candidate Singh has been facing the annoyance of people and dull response from own party workers.
According to a senior BJP leader in the Varanasi region, PM Modi too is concerned with these problems and he would stay here for three days to campaign. On last Saturday, Modi had addressed a meeting of the booth level workers in Varanasi and specially interacted with those engaged in campaigning at Sewapuri & Pindra assembly seats.
Meanwhile, SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav is visiting Varanasi on Wednesday to address a joint rally with Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee. Keeping an eye on several thousand Bengali voters spread on the urban seats of Varanasi, Akhilesh also wants to present a united opposition front against BJP in UP.
