The sweepstakes between the ruling BJP and the Opposition SP in Uttar Pradesh have reached their concluding stage. Both the parties are sparing no effort before the state goes to the polls in the final phase.
The seventh phase in the UP Assembly election is important as one of the districts that will take part in the final round, Varanasi, belongs to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency.
PM Modi held a roadshow in Varanasi on March 4 to drum up support for the last time ahead of the last phase of the Assembly elections. He waved his hands from an open-roof vehicle as his convoy went past the crowd for three kilometres in the holy city.
He garlanded the statues of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Madan Mohan Malviya. He also stopped for tea at a stall where he also interacted with people there.
No Time To While Away For Political Parties
The political heavyweights from the Oppositions also embarked on their final ride before the last phase. Just after PM Modi’s visit, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav laid his cavalcade on the road of Varanasi.
काशी की रात का ये ऐतिहासिक सफ़र… राजनीतिक चेतना की एक नयी ‘सुबह-ए-बनारस’ की ओर ले जाएगा… pic.twitter.com/emO9wrTpAd
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) March 4, 2022
During his ‘Samajwadi Vijay Yatra’, Yadav said, “This historic journey of the night of Kashi… will lead to a new ‘Subah-e-Banaras’ of political consciousness.”
The senior leaders of Congress Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi had also visited the Kashi Vishwanath temple hours before PM Modi visited the shrine. The brother-sister duo later attended a rally on the outskirts of Varanasi.
Attacking PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi said, Actually his ‘double engine’ is ‘Adani and Ambani’ (Industrialists). This kind of double engine can never provide employment to people.”
Plumping For Electoral Gains Over Stranded Indians In Ukraine
Taking a dig, the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had accused PM Modi of favouring the Assembly election in UP and attending poll meetings while Indians are stranded in Ukraine.
Banerjee further alleged the Centre of leaving Indians in war-torn Ukraine on their own. “Look what is happening right now. There is a war underway in Ukraine and PM Modi is doing meetings here (in the state). What is important? Isn’t bringing back our Indian students important?” she said during addressing a rally in Varanasi.
During the SP-TMC joint rally, Banerjee also slammed the Centre for not bringing Indians back earlier despite having good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “If you (Modi) have such good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and knew three months in advance that a war would break out, why did you not bring back Indians (from Ukraine)?” she said.
The last phase of the UP Assembly election will be held on March 7. A total of nine districts will go on poll including Ghazipur, Azamgarh, Mau, Varanasi, Jaunpur, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Bhadohi and Sonbhadra.