Lok Sabha polls 2014: BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi has a tough fight in Kanpur

KANPUR: While the rest of Uttar Pradesh has a significant presence of Narendra Modi on hoardings, Kanpur is an aberration. Here, even at the BJP office in Naveen Market, images of Murli Manohar Joshi that welcome you, and supporters are quick to point out to a bevy of pictures of senior RSS leaders.

“‘Bharat Maa Ki Teen Dharohar — Atal, Advani Aur Manohar’; Kanpur is very fortunate to have a senior leader like Joshiji,” a party member said, instantly adding, “Modi’s leher here is going to make him win with a big majority.”

In Kanpur, which goes to polls on Wednesday, BJP activists swear by the Modi wave even as Joshi might have indicated it was more of a BJP wave.

But it is not going to be easy for Joshi as Congress candidate, Union minister for coal Sriprakash Jaiswal, is looking for a fourth straight term from the constituency.

“Joshi is seen as an outsider whereas Jaiswal is seen in the vicinity every weekend,” Anshul Jain, a trader at Kanpur Market.

The Samajwadi Party’s Surendra Mohan, who is known to be close to many traders, is also a strong contestant.

There are several undercurrents as well. Though Joshi is a BJP veteran, his arrival in Kanpur after he had to vacate his Varanasi seat for Modi has not gone down well with some local leaders.

In the BJP office, a group of workers discuss how BJP MLA Satish Mahana, who was in line for candidacy, is said to be upset, and is not active in campaigning. “Mahana has won five elections and lost just one. He knows the city in and out. It was unfair to ask him to vacate for someone else,” a party member said.