Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Varanasi discusses temple, jobs, land acquisition…

As the election season comes to an end on June 1, all eyes are on Varanasi, the ancient city that the BJP says is having a “golden decade” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its MP.

The stage is ready. Earlier this month, Modi organized a roadshow here and sent letters to 2,000 eminent personalities in the district appealing to vote on June 1 and support the BJP. “The resolutions we have made for the development of Kashi over these ten years are being implemented one by one. I have done my best with Baba Vishwanath’s blessings, but there is still a lot to do. This election is important in many ways…” he wrote.

Many BJP commanders have arrived in Varanasi in the last few days. Union Home Minister Amit Shah camped in Varanasi on Monday, where he conducted meetings. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met representatives of the Tamil community last week, while Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal was in the city for several days interacting with traders and businessmen.

The most striking example of the Prime Minister’s contribution to the city is the Kashi Vishwanath temple corridor, which has increased the number of tourists visiting the city and significantly boosted the local economy. Between 2021 and 2023, the city was visited by over 130 million tourists. In 2022, the city received eight times more tourists than Goa. Even in the afternoon heat of May, the area around the temple – the Godowlia chowk area – remains a block, inhabited mainly by devotees from south India.

“Earlier there was a down time, now it is a year-round tourist season,” said Ramesh, a local. In the squeaky, clean corridor that connects the Ghat to one of the temple gates above, an escalator leads to the next level, while the waiting area is lined with food kiosks similar to those found in airports. All this is awe-inspiring for someone who has been coming to Varanasi for years. Outside the temple premises, the roads look relatively less congested, even if traffic jams are still a nuisance. The city shows some obvious signs of ‘vikas’ (development), with more hotels opening and some redevelopment taking place. The first urban cable car of its kind is also on its way. However, there is no shortage of heartburn and people falling behind on vikas. Laltu, a carrier from Nishad community, is angry with his MP. “Modi Ji has come here so many times that he knows what can be used how to make the government profitable,” he said.

Laltu talks about the government’s decision to operate small water taxis on the Ganges, which was met with much resistance from the community last year and also led to a strike. According to reports, the taxis are being brought from Bhavnagar in Gujarat. Laltu also reports that with the launch of cruises like Alaknanda, boats have lost the VIP crowd as they now book tickets in advance and avail cruise services. “We are considering whether to vote for him this time,” he said.

If sailors are afraid of more competition, another segment is already teetering on the brink of danger.

“Surat has dominated the Banarasi saree market,” said a silk saree seller who also claimed to be a BJP worker.

He spoke to ET on the condition of anonymity about the large number of power looms in Gujarat producing cheaper copies of sarees, offering cheaper threads and labor rates. “

He also said that companies in Gujarat hire designers from Varanasi to design the same saris for them at a higher salary.

Ajay Rai, president of the UP Congress, who is opposing Modi for the fourth time, said: “People here have trusted an outsider who is only cheating and cheating you. They buy land from farmers at low prices and sell it to Gujarati businessmen. has any factory been opened in Rohaniya or Sewapuri? All the roads built here have been handed over to Gujaratis. It’s time to collect them all with interest,” he said in a public speech.

Last year, farmers in Mohan Sarai protested against the acquisition of their land for the construction of Transport Nagar. While the protesting farmers were accused of using lathi, they pelted stones at the police. This issue is also raised by the opposition, whose Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav promises to acquire land only at circular rates.