UP elections 2017: It’s Modi vs rest in Varanasi even as most Muslims opt for SP-Congress

VARANASI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s extensive campaigning in the last three days of campaigning virtually turned it into a ‘Modi versus the rest’ battle in most polling booths in Varanasi on the day of voting on Wednesday.

Voting trend suggested a division in Muslim votes, though the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance seems to have cornered a major chunk of Muslim votes, at least in the urban areas of the ancient city.

There were long queues before Bengali Tola Inter College and Anglo Bengali Primary School booths, located opposite to each other in Madanpura area. Madanpura, a locality with high Muslim population, comes under Cantt assembly seat.

BJP, BSP and Congress-SP have fielded Saurabh Srivastava, Rizwan Ahemad and Anil Srivastava as their nominees respectively.

“Aadmi dekha, party dekha… The party dominated my mind before I cast my vote,” said one Abdul Moin when asked about the choice for his vote. He was clearly not alone in thinking along those lines.

“We are happy under present regime. It is good for us to see alliance between Congress and Samajwadi Party. We get regular power supply. We have no grievance against CM Akhilesh,” said Mohammed Shamim, who is associated with the Banarasi Saree business.

Another voter, Salim Ansari, however, hinted at a split in Muslim votes. “You know BSP has fielded a Muslim face and thus, this party is also getting votes from our community,” Ansari, who belongs to a weaver community, told ET at one booth.

“Modi’s campaign has changed the picture of BJP in this constituency,” said Kundal Lal Chhubhani, who cast his vote at a booth in this locality.

In all the five seats, though, most Muslim votes seem to have gone to SP-Congress. In Varanasi North, the community seems to have mostly backed the alliance’s Abdul Samad Ansari. “Samad is old leader and he has his own local connections,” said one Shamsher, a shopkeeper who voted at booth in Navyug Vidya Mandir in Gailwaria locality.

Voters’ comments were similar at several booths in Varanasi South constituency where Congress-SP has fielded Rajesh Mishra, a former MP. The trend clearly suggested that SP’s decision to ally with Congress has worked at least in Varanasi city.

In Rohania constituency, the trend indicated division in the OBC votes, particularly Patels who have considerable presence, between the SP and BJP.