Benaras waits for its moment in history

VARANASI: As the sun sets along the Dasaswamedh Ghat and chants of the Ganga aarti rent the air, a restive population waits for its moment in history. While BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is clearly the star of the show, dominating every discussion and quarrel, Benarasis are turning with grudging respect to acknowledge the AAP campaign as it fights Congress for 'second place'. Indeed, if it were not for AAP street fighters, a Modi win would have been a boring play with a predictable final act. AAP's Arvind Kejriwal turned it into a Bollywood masala flick where everyone in the hall knows the end but is glued to their seats for the thrills. The party has not disappointed. Whether it is their "wave" volunteers (standing at crossroads and waving the jhaadu) or the 67 jan sampark meetings that Kejriwal conducted in the last 25 days, meeting an estimated 5 lakh people. The party carpet-bombed the city, albeit with the help of its 2,000-2,500 volunteers from across the country. AAP is placing its bets on BODAM (baniya, OBC, dalit, Muslim) votes and its campaign managers claim that it has been able to make significant inroads with Patels who constitute 13 per cent of the 16.5 crore voting population, Yadavs who comprise 7 per cent of the population and 16 per cent Muslims in the city. The boast is not empty. BJP, which forged an alliance with Apna Dal's Anupriya Patel, was hoping for a slice of the 1.5 lakh Patel vote which may now have split in favour of AAP. Says Tribhuvan Patel, a weaver in Rohaniya's Parmanandapura village, "Some people may vote for BJP but a large section of our village is supporting AAP." Patel sports a white AAP wristband. Mahendra Kumar, who runs a small pan shop that doubles up as a village adda, chips in, "Modiji aawat hai helicopter mein, neeche hum keedon ko dekh kar chale jaawat hain (Modi comes in a helicopter, we are like little insects for him and then he leaves)." Chandan Yadav, a strapping youth, admits the village receives more power supply these days because "vote hain" (election is near) but then adds, "The heroine who campaigns for Modi takes Rs 2 crore for selling Lux soap. If they are spending so much money, where will they take it out from? They will bury us with price rise." Madanpura resident Ram Gopal dismisses such talk around "development" with a wave and gives a disturbing edge to the debate, "This election is about Hindu vs Muslim. And I must first save myself and my family before I can think of other things." He has voiced an unsaid fear among people that elections will be polarized. But Gopal's assertion aside, most Benarasis see this is a chance for Benaras to regain its lost glory. Vodafone employee Pradeep Singh says, "Modi will bring development not just to Benaras but throughout the country." Agrees Kashi Chaat Bhandar owner Rakesh Kesari, "This is a BJP stronghold. Modi is the clear number one." On the face of it, it should have been a BJP vs Congress contest. Congress's Ajay Rai polled 1.25 lakh votes in the last election and tied up with local don Mukhtar Ansari who drew 1.87 lakh votes as the BSP candidate. Together, they could prove to be a formidable combination except for reports that Rai's sister-in-law and wife of the slain Krishnanand Rai has publicly denounced him and the Bhumihar community is divided in its support for Rai. That has not deterred Chanchal Yadav, owner of the famous Blue Lassi Shop at Manikarnika ghat. "Ajay Rai is from our city. What do these outsiders know about Benaras," he asks as his fingers deftly churn curd to smooth lassi. Ageing Ghulam Hussain in Muslimdominated Lallapura says Rahul Gandhi's rally has made an impact even as others around him say that most of the minority community may support AAP. But it is precisely these neat boxes of stereotypes that Varanasi seeks to defy. Along the cloistered streets of Madanpura — another Muslim dominated area — there is an ancient Mahadev mandir where the temple's head priest Pandit Anurag Dwivedi vehemently opposes all parties. "They have done nothing, not Modi, not Kejriwal and not Ajay Rai. I will press NOTA. These big leaders have come but they have no understanding of Benaras's sanskriti," he says. Who will inherit Benaras's sanskriti is a question that May 16 will answer. TOI