Varanasi, a tough ride for Modi
18 April 2014 8:44 PM GMT
Hard going for Namo
Reports from Varanasi Congress sources suggest that though it is a foregone conclusion that Narendra Modi will win but if one goes by the sheer statistics of Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, then it may be a tough going for Modi. According to political observers, if Ajai Rai gives a proper contest and polls the entire one lakh eighteen thousand votes he had polled in 2009 on the Samajwadi Party ,then Arvind Kejriwal can defeat Modi after Mukhtar Ansari who had lost only by 17,000 votes to M M Joshi in 2009, who has withdrawn from the contest and transfered his entire Muslim votes to Kejriwal plus the floating secular votes. The Brahmins are upset because of Joshi and the BJP workers in the city are equally upset as they have no work to do, because Amit Shah’s team has taken over Modi’s election in Varanasi.
The Varanasi’s 16 lakh voting population comprises two lakh Brahmins, 3.5 lakh Vaishyas, three lakh Muslims,1.25 lakh Kurmis 1.25 lakh Yadavs, Koiry 0.75 lakh, Dalits .0.90 lakh, Chatri 0.60 lakh, Kayastha 0.50 lakh and Bhumiyars 1.2 lakhs. While Rai is a Bhumiyar, the Vaishya votes are expected to split four ways between two Vaishya candidates fielded by SP and BSP and Kejriwal who himself is a Bania, who have been the core voters of the BJP. Going by this statistics, Kejriwal may have an edge. But the perception is that Modi will still win.
PRIYANKA’s ‘VADRA’ TAG POSING PROBLEMS
The Congress is divided between a pro Rahul and a pro Priyanka camp. When pressure was mounted on the party leadership to press Priyanka Gandhi into active political role, the official party spokesperson at the party’s press briefings denied any such move. But for the first time, the party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala from the Congress podium called the Gandhi daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Stress was on name Vadra indicating that Priyanka was no longer a Gandhi but that she was the wife of Robert Vadra. Later on the reason being given on why the Congress cannot field her as their candidate from Varanasi or lead the party with the Vadra baggage which she carries with her name. The moment her name was dropped by Janardhan Diwedi, Narendra Modi attacked Vadra, considered the weak spot of the Gandhi family.
CONG CANDIDATES ARE RUNNING SHORT OF FUNDS
Even before the people of the country have given their verdict for or against any political party, the Congress has already accepted defeat. And the symptom of this acceptance of defeat has been on display in the current phase of elections, where the Congress candidates were seen as cash trapped. While the BJP campaign is visible everywhere and their PM candidate Narendra Modi is present everywhere on radio, TV, newspapers as well on hoardings and cut outs, the Congress is missing everywhere. The Congress party treasurer Motilal Vora has been drawing a lot of flak from a whole lot of candidates who have not been given the money allotted for them.
Even ministers are heard cribbing that they have not got money and Voraji is acting a kanjoos. Some candidates are complaining of being discriminated against. In Orissa, a journalist Sucharita Mohanty who has been made the Congress candidate from Puri in Orissa is said to be totally cash trapped. If she loses, Motilal Vora should be blamed. Voraji is not the only one under attack even the Congress strategist Jairam Ramesh too is under attack for faulty strategies.
Now, BJP FIELDS WEAK CANDIDATE AGAINST SONIA
Questions are being asked in the Congress why the party has failed to take the BJP’s PM candidate head on? Why has the party not fielded a strong candidate against Narendra Modi in Varanasi?
The Congress decision of fielding a non challenger Ajai Rai against Narendra Modi is being seen as a part of a strategy where traditionally top leaders are rarely challenged except in special circumstances. The name of Priyanka Gandhi was being circulated just to scare the BJP as in the entire political spectrum it is believed that the entry of the Gandhi daughter could have changed the entire scenario.
But sources claim that Priyanka Gandhi’s name was being circulated by the Congress as the possible candidate against Modi just as the Congress top brass was waiting to see who the BJP fields against the Congress President Sonia Gandhi. But soon after the BJP decided to field a non-entity lawyer Ajay Agarwal against Sonia Gandhi, the Congress too declared the name of Ajai Rai. IPA
Reports from Varanasi Congress sources suggest that though it is a foregone conclusion that Narendra Modi will win but if one goes by the sheer statistics of Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, then it may be a tough going for Modi. According to political observers, if Ajai Rai gives a proper contest and polls the entire one lakh eighteen thousand votes he had polled in 2009 on the Samajwadi Party ,then Arvind Kejriwal can defeat Modi after Mukhtar Ansari who had lost only by 17,000 votes to M M Joshi in 2009, who has withdrawn from the contest and transfered his entire Muslim votes to Kejriwal plus the floating secular votes. The Brahmins are upset because of Joshi and the BJP workers in the city are equally upset as they have no work to do, because Amit Shah’s team has taken over Modi’s election in Varanasi.
The Varanasi’s 16 lakh voting population comprises two lakh Brahmins, 3.5 lakh Vaishyas, three lakh Muslims,1.25 lakh Kurmis 1.25 lakh Yadavs, Koiry 0.75 lakh, Dalits .0.90 lakh, Chatri 0.60 lakh, Kayastha 0.50 lakh and Bhumiyars 1.2 lakhs. While Rai is a Bhumiyar, the Vaishya votes are expected to split four ways between two Vaishya candidates fielded by SP and BSP and Kejriwal who himself is a Bania, who have been the core voters of the BJP. Going by this statistics, Kejriwal may have an edge. But the perception is that Modi will still win.
PRIYANKA’s ‘VADRA’ TAG POSING PROBLEMS
The Congress is divided between a pro Rahul and a pro Priyanka camp. When pressure was mounted on the party leadership to press Priyanka Gandhi into active political role, the official party spokesperson at the party’s press briefings denied any such move. But for the first time, the party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala from the Congress podium called the Gandhi daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Stress was on name Vadra indicating that Priyanka was no longer a Gandhi but that she was the wife of Robert Vadra. Later on the reason being given on why the Congress cannot field her as their candidate from Varanasi or lead the party with the Vadra baggage which she carries with her name. The moment her name was dropped by Janardhan Diwedi, Narendra Modi attacked Vadra, considered the weak spot of the Gandhi family.
CONG CANDIDATES ARE RUNNING SHORT OF FUNDS
Even before the people of the country have given their verdict for or against any political party, the Congress has already accepted defeat. And the symptom of this acceptance of defeat has been on display in the current phase of elections, where the Congress candidates were seen as cash trapped. While the BJP campaign is visible everywhere and their PM candidate Narendra Modi is present everywhere on radio, TV, newspapers as well on hoardings and cut outs, the Congress is missing everywhere. The Congress party treasurer Motilal Vora has been drawing a lot of flak from a whole lot of candidates who have not been given the money allotted for them.
Even ministers are heard cribbing that they have not got money and Voraji is acting a kanjoos. Some candidates are complaining of being discriminated against. In Orissa, a journalist Sucharita Mohanty who has been made the Congress candidate from Puri in Orissa is said to be totally cash trapped. If she loses, Motilal Vora should be blamed. Voraji is not the only one under attack even the Congress strategist Jairam Ramesh too is under attack for faulty strategies.
Now, BJP FIELDS WEAK CANDIDATE AGAINST SONIA
Questions are being asked in the Congress why the party has failed to take the BJP’s PM candidate head on? Why has the party not fielded a strong candidate against Narendra Modi in Varanasi?
The Congress decision of fielding a non challenger Ajai Rai against Narendra Modi is being seen as a part of a strategy where traditionally top leaders are rarely challenged except in special circumstances. The name of Priyanka Gandhi was being circulated just to scare the BJP as in the entire political spectrum it is believed that the entry of the Gandhi daughter could have changed the entire scenario.
But sources claim that Priyanka Gandhi’s name was being circulated by the Congress as the possible candidate against Modi just as the Congress top brass was waiting to see who the BJP fields against the Congress President Sonia Gandhi. But soon after the BJP decided to field a non-entity lawyer Ajay Agarwal against Sonia Gandhi, the Congress too declared the name of Ajai Rai. IPA
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