Tag: UP elections

  • PM Modi, top BJP leaders, industrialists to attend Adityanath’s oath ceremony

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, top BJP leaders, leading industrialists and seers will participate in the mega ceremony in which Yogi Adityanath will take oath as Uttar Pradesh chief minister for the second consecutive term.

    The ceremony on Friday will be attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and CMs of BJP-ruled states. Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and 60 other business tycoons have been invited.

    Roads leading to Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, the venue for the event, have been decorated with lights.

    Cut-outs of PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Adityanath have been put up along the road. The BJP-led alliance had won 273 of 403 seats in the just-concluded Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. The alliance led by the main opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) bagged 125 seats.

    UP BJP general secretary J P S Rathore told PTI, “Invitations to dignitaries are being sent both by the party and the state government. Chief ministers of all BJP-ruled states have been invited. Invites have also been sent to opposition leaders in the state.”

    Adityanath has personally sent invitations to over 50 seers, including those from Ayodhya, Mathura and Varanasi.

    Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s state-level functionary Dinesh Shankar said, “Prominent seers, along with senior members of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust, have been invited for the ceremony.”

    Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and his ally RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary said they won’t attend the swearing-in ceremony.

    Akhilesh had attended Adityanath’s oath ceremony in 2017 along with his father Mulayam Singh Yadav. The other prominent personalities who will turn up for the event are yoga guru Baba Ramdev, “The Kashmir Files” director Vivek Agnihotri and actor Anupam Kher.

    BJP party workers from different states have also been invited to the mega event. The venue has the capacity to accommodate 50,000 people. The stage for the VIPs has been prepared in the northern end of the stadium. A small area right before the main stage has been allocated to the media.

    While four pitches of the cricket stadium have been barricaded, seating arrangements have been made on the entire ground. The underpasses of Shaheed Path are also being painted. The ceremony is expected to begin from 4 pm onwards.

    Adityanath had kickstarted his election campaign from the stadium in December when he distributed tablets and mobile phones among students in a grand event. The swearing-in ceremony is expected to be the grandest in terms of numbers since 2007.

    In 2017, the oath-taking ceremony was held at Kanshiram Smriti Upvan. The Uttar Pradesh Police has made tight security arrangements.

    Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said, “Close to 8000 personnel of the Uttar Pradesh Police, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) along with specialised units like the Special Task Force (STF) and the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) have been deployed.”

    “The access to the venue will be strictly regulated with ATS commandos manning all sensitive spots. Each visitor will be screened before being allowed to enter the venue. Door frame metal detectors and hand held metal detectors are being set up at every entry point,” he said.

    Police have also installed CCTV cameras in and around the venue. The feed from the CCTV cameras will be monitored live at the control room under the supervision of senior officials. Drones will also be kept on standby, said Kumar.

    According to officials, a three-layer security will be put in place at the venue. The Lucknow police commissionerate has also issued a detailed traffic diversion plan for the entire day. It has also launched a helpline for people stuck in the traffic.

  • New faces likely in Yogi Cabinet 2.0; caste balance, performance to decide new team

    By ANI

    LUCKNOW: Days after the BJP retained power for the second consecutive term in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is scheduled to visit Delhi on Sunday to discuss the new cabinet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    National President JP Nadda, Amit Shah and BL Santosh in Delhi will be present at the meeting. The swearing-in ceremony date will also be discussed during the meeting.

    As per sources, the BJP is also considering several new faces in the Cabinet along with the new Deputy Chief Minister.

    State President Swatantrata Dev Singh, BJP leader Sunil Bansal, state in-charge Radha Mohan Singh will also accompany Adityanath to Delhi on Sunday.

    It is being speculated that the BJP leadership has prepared a basic list of probable Deputy Chief Ministers and Ministers on the basis of qualification, caste and regional equations because BJP gives place to every caste in its cabinet. The Central leadership will have the final say on the list.

    For the post of Deputy Chief Minister, the names of Swatantra Dev Singh, Baby Rani Maurya, Brijesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya are in talks. Swatantra Dev Singh was the Transport Minister, apart from this he was the BJP state president.

    Keshav Prasad Maurya has definitely lost from Sirathu seat in the elections this time but he is the face of OBC. As Deputy Chief Minister, he has governed the state well, so once again he can be made the Deputy Chief Minister.

    Baby Rani Maurya has been the Governor of Uttarakhand and is a well-known face of Jatav society in Uttar Pradesh. Brijesh Pathak, of the Brahmin community, has been a law minister in the Uttar Pradesh government. UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh, who is also a Kurmi leader, was one of the prominent faces behind BJP’s big win in Uttar Pradesh.

    Law Minister Brijesh Pathak, who won from Lucknow Cantonment seat, may get the role of Deputy Chief Minister in the Yogi government to maintain the Brahmin equation.In Yogi Sarkar 2, the leadership is also considering the inclusion of two former police officers in the new cabinet- Rajeshwar Singh and Asim Arun.

    The newly-elected MLA from Sarojini Nagar seat of Lucknow, Dr Rajeshwar Singh was an officer of Uttar Pradesh Police. BJP MLA Aseem Arun has won from Kannauj (Sadar) seat. Asim Arun was an officer of the rank of ADG. Before being the first police commissioner of Kanpur, Asim Arun’s father late Ram Arun was twice the DGP of Uttar Pradesh.

    Many Bharatiya Janata Party leaders have won by a huge margin of votes. In this, the candidate from the Noida Assembly seat and Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh’s son Pankaj Singh has won by a margin of 1,81,513 votes.

    The BJP senior leaders are also discussing Pankaj Singh getting a place in the Yogi cabinet. Till now, no one from Noida had got a place in the Yogi cabinet, so it is expected that this time Pankaj Singh, who has performed brilliantly in 2017 and now in 2022 too, can be made a minister in the Yogi government.

    Shalabh Mani Tripathi, a Brahmin young face close to Yogi and an experienced journalist, can be made a minister in the Yogi cabinet. Shalabh has also been in ABVP earlier.Allies Apna Dal and Nishad Party would also get a place in the Cabinet-MLC Ashish Patel and Sanjay Nishad can get important roles to play.

    Besides the new faces, old leaders like Suresh Khanna, who won with a landslide victory from the Shahjahanpur seat for the ninth consecutive time, can also be made a minister.Brijesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya can also be part of the cabinet again.

    The swearing-in of the Yogi government is likely to be held on March 15 or 21.

    Adityanath on Friday tendered his resignation to Governor Anandiben Patel at the Raj Bhavan in Lucknow.

    Following the massive victory in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Adityanath on Friday held a meeting with his ministerial colleagues at the party office in Lucknow. Adityanath, a monk-turned-politician, won his first-ever Assembly election by a margin of 1,03,390 from Gorakhpur Urban constituency, defeating the Samajwadi Party candidate Subhawati Upendra Dutt Shukla, who secured 62,109 votes in the recently-concluded UP Assembly elections. Adityanath will be the first Chief Minister in the last 37 years to return to power after completing a full term in the state.

  • UP polls: Political parties await results with bated breath

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: The stage is set for the culmination of the seven-phased electoral battle for Lucknow in the country’s most populous and politically most crucial state of Uttar Pradesh with the counting of votes to 403 assembly constituencies on Thursday.

    While the outcome of the 2022 assembly elections will be in a way a referendum on incumbent chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s performance, for others like the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress, it will be a do-or-die battle.

    No wonder then that the parties breached all barriers in holding a two-month-long high-octane campaign across 75 districts to woo voters outside the ambit of their clout and respective caste bases. However, the Election Commission of India imposed restrictions owing to the omicron-driven third wave of Covid-19.

    In what was appearing to be a bipolar contest between the ruling BJP and the main opposition Samajwadi Party, Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party relatively remained a silent player on the ground with the limited appearance of chief Mayawati in the poll arena. Mayawati has helmed UP for four terms as CM. After forming the government thrice in alliance with the BJP, Mayawati came to power with an absolute majority in 2007. On the other, Congress, which had been put of power in UP since 1989, succeeded in getting visibility through its extensive campaign across the state, this time.

    ALSO READ | Assembly polls: Stage set for counting of votes in Uttar Pradesh

    While the ruling BJP contested in alliance with its tried and tested partner Apna Dal (S) led by Anupriya Patel, who is a minister in Modi cabinet and NISHAD, led by Dr Sanjay Nishad, an MLC coming from the boatmen community among the most backward castes. The BJP fielded candidates on 376 of the total 403 Assembly segments leaving 24 seats for the allies.

    As for the Samajwadi Party, taking lessons from its back-to-back defeats since 2014, Akhilesh Yadav tried to beat the saffron brigade in its own game this time by stitching a rainbow coalition of seven smaller caste-based parties to do away with the tag of ‘the party of Yadavs and Muslims’.  SP had struck an alliance with Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Mahan Dal, Janwadi Party (Socialist), Apna Dal faction led by Krishna Patel, Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party, Shivpal Yadav’s Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party and Gondwana Gantantra Party. BSP and Congress did not have any alliance and fielded candidates on all 403 seats.

    The notification for the seven-phases UP elections was issued on January 8 and the voting for 58 seats of 11 western UP districts in the first phase took place on February 10. The second phase for 55 seats across nine districts took place on February 14 followed by the third phase for 59 seats across 16 districts on February 20, the fourth phase for 61 seats across nine districts on February 23, fifth phase for 60 seats across 10 districts on February 27, sixth phase for 57 seats across 10 districts on March 3 and the last phase of voting for 54 seats across nine districts took place on March 7.

  • 54.18 per cent voting recorded till 5 pm in Uttar Pradesh polls

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Over 54 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 5 pm in the seventh and last phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections for 54 seats on Monday.

    Voting started at 7 am.

    It ended at 4 pm in Chakia (Chandauli), Robertsganj and the Duddhi (Sonbhadra) seats, while in the rest of the segments, it continued till 6 pm.

    The districts where polls are underway in this phase are Azamgarh, Mau, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Mirzapur, Bhadohi and Sonbhadra.

    The voting percentage till 5 pm was 54.18 per cent, according to the Election Commission’s ‘Voter Turnout’ application.

    While Azamgarh witnessed 52.34 per cent voting, Bhadohi saw 54.26 per cent, Chandauli 59.59 per cent, Ghazipur 53.67 per cent, Jaunpur 53.55 per cent, Mau 55.04 per cent, Mirzapur 54.93 per cent, Sonbhadra 56.95 per cent and Varanasi 52.79 per cent, it showed.

    A total of 613 candidates are in the fray for the 54 seats, including those falling in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary segment Varanasi.

    The fate of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party president Om Prakash Rajbhar and several state ministers will be decided in this round, in which 2.06 crore people are eligible to vote.

    Besides state Tourism Minister Neelkanth Tiwari, who is contesting for the Varanasi South seat, other ministers in the fray in the last leg of the elections are Anil Rajbhar (Shivpur-Varanasi), Ravindra Jaiswal (Varanasi North), Girish Yadav (Jaunpur) and Ramashankar Singh Patel (Marihan-Mirzapur).

    Dara Singh Chauhan, who had resigned from the Yogi Adityanath cabinet and joined the Samajwadi Party (SP), is contesting from the Ghosi seat in Mau.

    Om Prakash Rajbhar (Zahoorabad), Dhananjay Singh (Malhani-Jaunpur) as the JD(U) candidate, and Abbas Ansari, the son of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, from Mau Sadar seat, are contesting in this phase.

    Campaigning in this phase reached its crescendo with Modi leading the BJP’s poll blitzkrieg in Varanasi and its adjoining districts.

    The state has 403 Assembly seats and the results of the elections will be declared on March 10. 

  • UP polls 7th phase: Over 46 per cent turnout recorded till 3 pm

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Over 46 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 3 pm in the seventh and last phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections for 54 seats on Monday.

    Voting started at 7 am.

    It ended at 4 pm in the Chakia (Chandauli), Robertsganj and the Duddhi (Sonbhadra) seats, while in the rest of the segments, it will continue till 6 pm.

    The districts where polls are underway in this phase are Azamgarh, Mau, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Mirzapur, Bhadohi and Sonbhadra.

    The voting percentage till 3 pm was 46.40 per cent, according to the ECI’s Voter Turnout app.

    While Azamgarh witnessed 45.28 per cent voting, Bhadohi saw 47.49 per cent, Chandauli 50.79 per cent, Ghazipur 46.28 per cent, Jaunpur 47.14 per cent, Mau 46.88 per cent, Mirzapur 46.64 per cent, Sonbhadra 49.84 per cent and Varanasi 43.76 per cent, it showed.

    A total of 613 candidates are in the fray for the 54 seats, including those falling in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary segment Varanasi.

    The fate of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party president Om Prakash Rajbhar and several state ministers will be decided in this round, in which 2.06 crore people are eligible to vote.

    Besides state Tourism Minister Neelkanth Tiwari, who is contesting for the Varanasi South seat, other ministers in the fray in the last leg of the elections are Anil Rajbhar (Shivpur-Varanasi), Ravindra Jaiswal (Varanasi North), Girish Yadav (Jaunpur) and Ramashankar Singh Patel (Marihan-Mirzapur).

    Dara Singh Chauhan, who had resigned from the Yogi Adityanath cabinet and had joined the SP, is contesting from the Ghosi seat in Mau.

    Om Prakash Rajbhar (Zahoorabad), Dhananjay Singh (Malhani-Jaunpur) as the JD(U) candidate, and Abbas Ansari, the son of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, from Mau Sadar seat, are contesting in this phase.

    Campaigning in this phase reached its crescendo with Prime Minister Modi leading the BJP’s poll blitzkrieg in Varanasi and its adjoining districts.

    The state has 403 Assembly seats and the results of the elections will be declared on March 10.

  • Voting begins for last phase of UP polls; 613 candidates in fray on 54 seats

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Voting for the seventh and the last phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections began on Monday morning, with 613 candidates in the fray on 54 seats, including those falling in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary segment Varanasi.

    The fate of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party president Om Prakash Rajbhar and several state ministers will be decided in this round, in which 2.06 crore people are eligible to vote.

    Voting will be held from 7 am to 4 pm on the Chakia (Chandauli), Robertsganj and Duddhi (Sonbhadra) seats while in the rest of the segments, it will continue till 6 pm.

    The districts going to the polls in this phase are Azamgarh, Mau, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Mirzapur, Bhadohi and Sonbhadra.

    Once considered a stronghold of the Samajwadi Party, the region saw the BJP making inroads in 2017 by winning 29 seats.

    The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) got six seats and the SP 11.

    For the SP, its patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav made a rare appearance in Jaunpur to drum up support for Lucky Yadav, the son of his long-time associate the late Parasnath Yadav.

    Lucky Yadav is in the fray from the Malhani seat.

    Mulayam had earlier campaigned for his son Akhilesh Yadav in the Karhal Assembly segment of Mainpuri.

    Besides state Tourism Minister Neelkanth Tiwari (Varanasi South), other ministers in the fray in the last leg of the elections are Anil Rajbhar (Shivpur-Varanasi), Ravindra Jaiswal (Varanasi North), Girish Yadav (Jaunpur) and Ramashankar Singh Patel (Marihan-Mirzapur).

    Dara Singh Chauhan, who had resigned from the Yogi Adityanath cabinet and had joined the SP, is contesting from Ghosi in Mau.

    Om Prakash Rajbhar (Zahoorabad), Dhananjay Singh (Malhani-Jaunpur) as the JD(U) candidate, and Abbas Ansari, the son of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, from Mau Sadar seat, are contesting in this phase.

    Campaigning in this phase reached its crescendo with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the BJP’s poll blitzkrieg in Varanasi and its adjoining districts.

    Besides addressing election rallies, he also held a roadshow for three Assembly constituencies in his Lok Sabha segment.

    This phase also saw West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee descending on the pilgrim city to hold a joint rally with Akhilesh Yadav and his RLD ally Jayant Chaudhary.

    Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had been camping in Varanasi for about four days.

    She, along with her brother Rahul Gandhi, addressed election meetings, whereas BSP supremo Mayawati campaigned in the district and neighbouring areas.

    Seeking to override anti-incumbency, the ruling party raised issues like forced migration and law and order problems during the previous SP government, while Akhilesh Yadav targeted the BJP government on the issues of inflation, unemployment, stray cattle, and the farmers’ agitation against the Centre’s agriculture laws.

    The mowing down of four farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri was also highlighted by all opposition parties as Union minister Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra is an accused in the case.

    The state has 403 Assembly seats and the results of the elections will be declared on March 10.

  • Those defaming ‘red cap’ forced to wear a cap: Akhilesh Yadav’s swipe at PM Modi

    By PTI

    JAUNPUR: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav Saturday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying those who were “defaming” the SP’s red cap have been “forced by people” to wear a cap, although of a different colour.

    Yadav made the comment at an election rally here apparently referring to Prime Minister Modi donning a saffron cap during his roadshow in Varanasi on Friday.

    This is also being seen as a response to Modi’s attack on the Samajwadi Party last December when he had said in Gorakhpur that people with red caps — the SP’s poll symbol — are “red alert” for Uttar Pradesh.

    Yadav said on Saturday, “Those who have been defaming our caps have been forced by the people of Uttar Pradesh to wear a cap. It is another thing that they have changed the colour of their cap.”

    Yadav was addressing the 2022 Uttar Pradesh polls’ last election meeting in Malhani constituency in favour of the Samajwadi Party’s Lucky Yadav.

    The two-month-long campaigning in Uttar Pradesh ended this evening.

    The seventh and final phase of voting in the state will be held on March 7.

    Counting of votes will be held on March 10.

    Attacking the BJP and PM Modi over the saffron colour cap, Yadav said they keep changing their colour.

    Appealing to people to vote for Lucky Yadav, the former chief minister said, “I feel that people of Malhani are going to vote for the Samajwadi Party in a big way, and demolish the rivals.”

  • UP polls last phase: It’s Modi charisma all the way in Kashi as sitting MLA face anti-incumbency

    By Express News Service

    VARANASI: It’s Subah-e-Banaras… As the nascent sun emerges on the horizon over glittering waves of  Ganga, Varanasi, the city of salvation and now the centre of all the political action, gradually comes to life like a painting truly depicting the calmness of a winter morning in all its glory and hopes nurtured for the day ahead.

    Only a day is left for the biggest festival of democracy in Kashi with eight other districts which will see the culmination of the seven-phase battle royale with voting on Monday, March 7.

    Varanasi, the gateway to Uttar Pradesh, and now the state’s political capital, has eight assembly seats. Retaining all eight is a prestige issue for the BJP as Kashi is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency.

    The PM camped for two days till the high octane campaign ended in Varanasi on Saturday evening. He galvanised BJP workers by imparting them a ‘Vijay mantra’. He held roadshows, delivered poll speeches to seek another term for the Yogi government and again many of his gestures surprised his supporters on Saturday evening. Naturally, the BJP banked upon Modi’s enigma and his charisma to sail through in Varanasi where its sitting MLAs had been facing strong anti-incumbency.

    Vinay Yadav, the owner of a silk garment shop in the lane outside Kashi Vishwanath Temple, is an exception in the caste-ridden political arena of UP. He is a BJP office-bearer. On being asked about his saffron choice, Yadav claims that Modi’s arrival as MP has melted the caste boundaries in Kashi in 2014 “Sangathan mein jaan phhoonk kar chale gaye (he has rejuvenated the cadre),” Yadav exudes confidence of victory.

    ALSO READ | UP polls final phase: Religio-political issues, anti-incumbency dominate voters’ psyche

    In 2017, of eight assembly segments comprising three urban – Varanasi Cantt, Vanaransi North and Varanasi South — and five semi-urban — Pindra, Rohiniya, Sevapuri, Shivpur and Ajagara (SC) – BJP had won six and its allies — Apna Dal (S) had won Sevapuri and OP Rajbhar’s Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) Ajagara. Rajbhar is now in alliance with Samajwadi Party. This time, Apna Dal (S) is contesting on two seats and BJP on six.

    Both Akhilesh Yadav and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, also camped in Varanasi to shore up their parties’ prospects. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee had also joined Akhilesh in the holy city to conduct a high-voltage poll campaign on March 3. But ask Varanasi electorate who still sound besotted with the charisma of PM Modi and dedication of UP CM Yogi Adityanath while spitting anger against sitting MLAs.

    Locals at the newly-built Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, inaugurated last December, and even at the ghats, swear by Modi and CM Yogi Adityanath.

     “We will only vote for Modi and Yogi — no one has done this level of development in UP. There is no fear now to move around at night. We feel secure,” says Rajiv Tiwari readily joined by his wife Kshama: “Modi-Yogi is unmatched,” refusing to comment on the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav. “For us, Modi is the best. It is Har Har Yogi, Ghar Ghar Modi in Varanasi,” she says.

    On a silent evening by the Ganges, Dharmesh Saini a boatman oozes his heart out. Rowing over waves of Ganga for 25 years, he yearns for a CNG version to replace his three-decade-old boat which he has taken on rent to make both ends meet. A CNG boat for Dharmesh would mean more money in less effort. However, the cost of a CNG boat seems beyond his reach even if he takes a loan. “I can still dream and hope that Yogiji will help me and many like me to own a CNG boat as Varanasi is his boss’s constituency,” says Dharmesh with an ear-to-ear grin.

    On the other, Dheeraj Saini, another boatman, feels the heat of inflation and price rise but supports Yogi as he got a boat licence and free CNG. “No previous government helped us like this. Ghats have become cleaners and beautiful to draw tourists who spend hours here. The corridor (Kashi Vishwanath) has increased footfall and our business,” admits Dheeraj.

    ALSO READ | UP polls: With heavyweights conducting rallies, Varanasi becomes the last big battleground

    “Aayenge toh Yogi hi,” says Abhyudai Singh, a Varanasi local enjoying a boat ride with his wife and two kids. “People of Varanasi can feel the development. For outsiders, it may be minuscule but those living here can feel it every bit. Cleanliness, proper sewage, drainage, ongoing work on roads, and above all controlled crime, have made a big difference,” says Abhyudai.

    “The biggest change has come in the form of Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. You can see its impact in Varanasi. It was beyond imagination to have a grand Corridor of Baba Vishwanath in the middle of a congested city. But Modi has made it ‘mumkin’ (possible),”  says Vinay Gupta, a businessman,  who claims he was ones against the idea of change in the contours of the city as it would have changed its flavor. “I was wrong. The essence of the city of Varanasi is intact,” he says with content.

    His wife Anamika is happy with the uninterrupted power supply. “Akhilesh speaks lies, Yogi does what is right. Earlier, there used to be only 5-6 hours of power supply in Varanasi, now it is 24-hour,” she draws the parallel between two regimes. If improvement in law and order is the most perceptible change in Varanasi for Aarti, a research scholar in BHU, Sarvesh Yadav of Mirzapur, pursuing post-graduation from BHU, is swayed by caste compulsions. “BJP government might have done a lot of good things, but it has failed to address unemployment. Competitive exams have become a mockery. Either paper is leaked or results are challenged. I will vote for change, for Akhilesh Yadav this time,” says Sarvesh admitting that UP voters are guided by caste inclinations.

    The anti-incumbency against the sitting MLAs is driving a wedge in the families. While Anjani Nandan Upadhyaya had made up his mind to vote for SP in Varanasi South seat where sitting MLA and Yogi minister Neelkanth Tiwari is facing a strong challenge by SP candidate and head priest of Mahamritunjay temple Kamshwar Nath Dixit alias Kishan Dixit, his wife was adamant at voting for Modi. “Modi’s roadshow has made me realize that I can’t betray him by voting for SP candidate,” concedes Upadhyaya who otherwise was angry with the arrogance of sitting MLA.

    “Change is sure. Even Modi will not be able to stop it. BJP MLAs are seeking apology but people of Kashi have made up their mind to back SP,” says Rajesh Patel, a school teacher impressed by SP’s promise of resonation of Old Pension Scheme.

    ALSO READ | UP polls: Religious, caste priorities dominate voters psyche in eastern region

    On the contrary, for a BHU employee seeking anonymity, a change in the government at the centre in 2014 followed by a change in the state itself has paved the way for better living conditions in Varanasi. “Ahead of every festival, there used to group seeking donations better called ‘rangdari’ (extortion). The police used to behave like an organised mob of dispensation. We used to look forward to (former SP minister) Shivpal Yadav’s visits because that was the only time we would have uninterrupted power,” he recalls the previous regime.

    Over the past seven years, several projects have been initiated and completed in Varanasi. Projects worth Rs 3,350 crore were inaugurated in February 2019, followed by the inauguration of another set of projects worth Rs 614 crore. In October 2021, the Prime Minister launched development projects worth Rs 5,200 crore for the makeover of the Ghats, cleanliness of the Ganga, construction of bridges, parking places and facilities in Banaras Hindu University; this was followed by the inauguration of the grand Kashi Vishwanath corridor in December.

    “No matter what the opposition says or how long it takes, people are assured that work will be done in Kashi as long as there is (PM) Modi,” says Dashrath Ram Sonkar, a vegetable and fruit vendor.

    However, as one traverses to the semi-urban pockets, the issues of stray cattle, demand for increasing MSPs, procurement centre in every village dominate the discourse but the overriding caste factor rings the most on the ground. Key seats set for big fights include Varanasi (North) where BJP’s two-time MLA Ravindra Jaiswal is in the fray, Varanasi (South) where BJP minister Neelkanth Tiwari is taking on SP’s Kameshwar Nath Dikshit in a ‘Brahmin vs Brahmin fight’, Pindra seat where Congress leader Ajay Rai is seeking election and Shivpur seat where minister Anil Rajbhar is taking on SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar’s son Arvind.

    The contest in the Sewapuri seat of Varanasi is significant too as it has three villages – Jayapur, Nagapur, and Kakarhia adopted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi under the MP Adarsh Gram Yojana. Sewapuri has also been recognised as a “model block” by the NITI Aayog for development, a point that Shukla is raising in the campaign. 

  • UP polls: With heavyweights conducting rallies, Varanasi becomes last big battleground

    Express News Service

    VARANASI: With the long drawn, seven phase assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh set to end with voting for 54 seats of nine eastern districts on March 7, Varanasi — one of the oldest living cities of the world – turned out to be the last big battleground of all major political parties and their top leadership on Friday.

    While BJP’s top leader in the country, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi (who is also the two-time sitting MP from Varanasi) embarked on a long road show through the main city areas, BJP’s prime opponent, the Samajwadi Party chief and ex-UP CM Akhilesh Yadav too carried out a road-show in another part of the same religious city.

    And if that wasn’t all, the Congress party, which is eyeing a revival in its fortunes in these polls, had its two most charismatic leaders, the siblings Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, holding public rallies in rural area, where their candidates have turned the so far direct contest between BJP alliance and SP alliance into multi-cornered battle.

    The prime attraction of the day, however, was PM Modi’s massive road-show, which waded through an unending crowd of city residents and BJP supporters, while covering a distance of 8-odd km, from Maldahiya crossing to Lanka-BHU Gate.

    After reiterating at a public rally in Mirzapur district, the commitment of his government to safely evacuate every Indian stranded in war torn Ukraine at a time when the entire world was going through a very critical, the PM flew to his parliamentary constituency Varanasi at around 4 pm and embarked on the road-show around an hour and 45 minutes delay.

    After garlanding the statue of Sardar Patel, the PM’s road-show travelled to the Kashi Vishwanath Dham Corridor, traversing through various areas of Varanasi North, Varanasi South and Varanasi Cantt assembly segments, amid unending crowds of local residents and supporters, raising slogans in support of their two-time MP.

    The road-show which was dotted with floral welcome at various points by senior BJP leaders, took almost three hours in travelling 3 kms to reach the KV Dham Corridor, where the PM offered prayers at the world famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple, after playing the king size dumroo amid reverberating chants of Kashi’s signature slogan Har Har Mahadev.

    He subsequently travelled through the further crowded areas between Godowlia Crossing and Lanka-BHU Gate (covering major part of Varanasi South and Varanasi Cantt seats), but stopped in between to relish kulhad tea with BJP rank and file at the famous Pappu Tea Shop at Assi Crossing, which for long has been the most talked about political gossip point of the ancient city.        

    This was the PM’s fifth poll-related road-show in Varanasi since 2014, when he first won the LS polls, defeating AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal. The Friday’s roadshow was a re-run of the 2017 polls campaigning, when Modi had carried out two back-to-back road-shows in response to UP Ke Ladke Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi’s road-shows. It was largely aimed at galvanizing the party’s rank and file and appealing the electorate in three urban seats, Varanasi South, Varanasi North and Varanasi Cantt, to vote for sitting BJP MLAs (including two ministers) who are facing high anti-incumbency.

    The PM, who would camp in Varanasi for two days, will address a rally at Khajuri (located on the junction of two rural Pindra and Sewapuri seats) where both the BJP candidates are having a tough time against high anti-incumbency.

    The BJP is pinning high hopes on the PM’s two day stay in Varanasi, as a similar campaign by him in the city in 2017, had helped the party not only win all eight seats of Varanasi district, but several seats of adjoining districts also.

    Meanwhile, the Congress leader siblings Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, addressed poll rally in Pindra assembly constituency, where the party’s ex-MLA Ajay Rai (who was a minister in erstwhile BJP government in the past) is strongly contesting against sitting BJP MLA Avdhesh Singh and BSP candidate Babulal Patel.

    Knowing well that the BSP candidate could benefit from division in upper caste votes between the BJP and Congress candidate, Rahul was highly critical of the BSP, terming the elephant symbol party the B Team of the BJP. He also lashed out at the Samajwadi Party for fostering an atmosphere of violence and anarchy during its past rule in UP.

     The last big ticket campaign of the day was a road-show by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who had to travel 1.5 km between Rathyatra Crossing and Girjaghar Crossing, covering parts of Varanasi Cantt and Varanasi South seats. The road-show was on at the time of filing this news report.

  • UP Elections: EC bans Mukhtar Ansari’s son from poll campaign for 24 hours

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW:  The Election Commission of India, on Friday, put a ban on Abbas Ansari, 30, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) candidate from Mau Sadar seat and son of mafia don-turned –politician Mukhtar Ansari, from poll campaign for 24 hours  as he was caught on camera  issuing open threats to the government officials during a public meeting in Mau district.

    Mau will vote in Phase-7 on March 7. The EC took cognizance of the video clip going viral on social media showing Abbas Ansari delivering a speech during which he said that no government officials would be transferred for the first six months after the formation of SP and alliance government in UP as their ‘hisab-kitab’ (settling of scores) would be done first.

    “I have told Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav that no transfers or postings of any officer or employees will happen for six months as we will settle the accounts first with the UP administration and only then their transfer certificates will be stamped,” asserted Ansari.

    Meanwhile, the Mau police have registered an FIR against Abbas Ansari at Kotwali police under Section 171F (Offence of undue influence or personation at an election) and Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC.

    Besides, registering an FIR against Abbas Ansari, a report has also been sent to Returning Officer of Mau Sadar Assembly seat for initiating appropriate action,” said Sushil Ghule, Mau SP.

    However, taking cognizance of the Mau police report, the election commission acted against Ansari.

    Videos of Abbas Ansari’s controversial remarks were widely shared, prompting police to take cognizance and begin investigations. 

    ADG Law and Order Prashant Kumar verified the authenticity the video and ordered that an FIR be registeredagainst Ansari for violating the Model Code of Conduct.

    When the campaign for the final phase of UP elections is at its peak, the video of Abbas Ansari threatening police officials has gone viral on social media.

    In this video, Abbas Ansari is seen threatening the officers openly from the stage of the public meeting.

    Significantly, Abbas Ansari’s father Mukhtar Ansari is incarecerated in Banda jail in connection with a number of criminal cases of illegal land-grabbing, extortion, murder, and kidnapping.

    Mukhtar, who used to run fearlessly during the previous SP and BSP regimes, is now moving on a wheelchair even in jail.

    Abbas will be facing off with BJP candidate Ashok Singh in the seat, the BSP’s state president Bhim Rajbhar, and Congress nominee Madhavendra Bahadur Singh.