NEW GOVERNMENT AND SOME GOOD INDICATORS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE

There have been some interesting developments on restructuring, streamlining and slimming down the mammoth and sluggish administrative machinery of the Government of India since May 26 when Narendra Modi was sworn in officially.

17 ministries clubbed under 7 ministers – yes, there is a reported proposed cabinet extension – but given the style of Narendra Modi’s governance, the exercise is going to put the ministers on some tough assignments

Then came the DoPT (Department of Personal and Training) circular saying the ministers needed to appoint their personal staff from among the general pool available – no handpicked choices, no relatives – if the order is implemented in letter and spirit

BADAUN GANGRAPE AND MURDERS: BADLANDS OF UTTAR PRADESH CONTINUE TO BLEED

‪Etawah‬: Home town of Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav - mother of rape survivor badly beaten by rapist's father (a Yadav) on May 26 - no action, no arrest so far - no reaction from Mulayam and Akhilesh so far..

‎Azamgarh‬: Constituency of Mulayam Singh Yadav - a teenaged girl gangraped on May 28 - just 1 arrest, 3 still absconding - no reaction yet from the MP..

‪Badaun‬: Constituency of Akhilesh's cousin Dharmendra Yadav - 2 teenaged Dalit sisters gangraped, killed on May 27 and bodies hanged from tree - 5 accused and 2 policemen who let it happen even if the families of the girls approached them to save their daughter (all Yadavs, in fact the local police post in-charge is also a Yadav) - no reaction from Mulayam and Dharmendra so far, routine reaction from Akhilesh after the national and international outrage, only to throw another shocker - the policmen, clearly involved in the crime, were suspended only initially - their termination only came after the outrage.. 

WHEN STEVEN SPIELBERG SOUGHT TO MEET ORSON WELLES

Steven Spielberg requested Orson Welles for an appointment.

Steven claimed to have solved the Rosebud riddle and wanted to share his finding (read discovery) personally with Welles.

Though unimpressed given the poor quality of understanding and research on Rosebud, Welles agreed to meet Steven given the latter’s commanding stature in world cinema and his proven mastery over the art of visual language, something that Welles was a sort of school of.

But….there was a catch.

MR. V OR MR. KANE OR MR. FINCH OR MR. MCMURPHY: AND THE MASK

The cult or Mr. V or the cult or Mr. Kane or the cult of Mr. Finch or the cult of Mr. McMurphy..

The cerebral Mask Vs the maniacal Mask Vs the calibrated Mask Vs the peculiar Mask..

Masks are good friends when they don't let one bleed giving one the space to be his Self while screening him from the scavenging curiosity, the pervert ebullience and the duplicitous vivacity of others.

Guy Fawkes delivered Mr. V. 

Mr. Kane had his own reasons.

Mr. Finch could preserve his integrity.

Mr. McMurphy was delivered to his freedom.

They could befriend the Masks and the Masks, in turn, befriended their individualities.

Guy Fawkes, V For Vendetta, Citizen Kane, To Kill A Mockingbird, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest 

©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com/  

IT'S RAINING..

It's raining,

Looking at, anticipating,

Thoughts speak up,

Inviting,

To run madly,

To soak deeply,

The air is wild,

The night is shy,

THE RACE FOR NEXT BHU VC

Term of the in-office vice-chancellor of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) is coming to its end in August 2014.

And given the past trend, especially during the last selection, its time again for dirty politics, lobbying and factional agendas for the position and like always, Delhi is going to be the theatre for the silly theatrics.

Being a central university, the way to the office of the VC of BHU has to be routed through Delhi with Human Resources Development ministry and the President’s secretariat being the central points to deal with the process of selection and appointment.  

And the folks have already started, pushing for their interests, in this or that power corridor, from the ministry to the President’s office. Now that a minister is in place and the HRD ministry is going to be fully functional from tomorrow, the efforts by the expecting (and the existing) players are expected to scramble for the attention and the space to gain the outreach.

HAVE YOU BEEN A FRIEND IN NEED?

A friend needs you the most when, somehow, he is not able to share his problem with you, whatever his reason(s) are.

And the reasons don’t exist when the problems start killing the words.

When a person is not able to express something painful he is going through, his agony and suffering cannot be understood by others including his family members and his best friends.

Also, it happens frequently that the conditions and the relations in the family don’t permit a person to even look in some problem while being with the family. Reasons vary and all we know and have been through them.

A friend is the natural outlet in such situations.

THE INVITATION THAT FORCED PAKISTAN TO SAY YES

Nawaz Sharif is finally coming to India. Being seen a masterstroke by Narendra Modi, the move is being discussed as a diplomatic coup for Pakistan.

There were obvious voices in India when the Indian Foreign Office sent invitation to the SAARC country heads, the regional block of eight South Asian nations.

But the voices of opposition were not criticising the decision the way political criticism on a serious (hostile) issue is delivered, except the invitation to Mahinda Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka, one of the two major talking points on the SAARC invitation exercise (apart from the routine stuff, like initiating the process to place the South Asian house in order).

On Sri Lanka, where Tamils are protesting the brutalities against the Sri Lankan Tamils and Jayalalitha, the TN CM, is boycotting the swearing-in, the reactions on Pakistan invitation were routine in India. Everyone knew it is a win-win situation for Mr. Modi irrespective of the ‘turnout’.

CAN YOU PLEASE, EVER, IF?

Can you please, ever, if?

Be the one, you used to be,

Can you please, ever, if?

Be the one, you had to be,

I don’t believe in, 

What it came to be,

Still believe in, 

What it was to be,

Can you please, ever, if?

Think of,

DAYS DO CHANGE – NARENDRA MODI SHOWS US

Days do change – Narendra Modi is its most relevant example today.

The US played silly politics over granting him the US visa for over a decade, but now is eager to see him in Washington. Multiple invitations have already been extended including from Mr. Barack Obama.

And Modi's routine and somewhat cold response is apt.

Branded communal by many Hindus and almost Muslims, Muslim umbrella organizations are sounding pragmatic about Modi now.

Days do change - and for good.

Be patient - be on the job – and remain on the job.

And always keep in mind while opinionating about others that 'days do change'.

Always keep in mind before betraying someone that ‘tables do turn’.

Always keep in mind while manipulating and stereotyping someone that ‘time passes quickly’.

Days do change – and sometimes, very fast – the Narendra Modi surge reaffirms this.  

©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com/  

MAY 17 SPEECH: NARENDRA MODI BEGIN ON A RIGHT NOTE IN VARANASI

When I see the pitiable condition of Ganga I feel pained but I feel it is Maa Ganga who has decided I have to do something for Her.

Need of the hour is to restore the glory of the Ganga. Today Maa Ganga is calling us, her children to make the river clean once again.

When Narendra Modi visited Varanasi on May 17 to thank the city for electing him with a huge margin, he began on a note indicative of the realization that he was well aware of the city’s expectations from him, these tweets tell us.

Varanasi and Ganga need immediate intervention at the highest level to justify the legacy of heritage they have.

The city is crumbling under the pressure of administrative and political apathy that has pushed the city’s infrastructure to the ignominy of being a Ganga city where the water of the Holy River is not fit for the Holy Dip.

NARENDRA MODI BACK IN DELHI: FOCUS ON THE BEGINNING ON MAY 26

Two days were Gujarat centric in the national political scene. Narendra Modi resigned from the chief minister’s post yesterday. A new leader was chosen and Gujarat got its first female chief minister today. Like Modi, she, too, comes from a humble background and is a self-made person. Hopefully, the Gujarat story will continue unabated.

Also, given the kind of person and politician Narendra Modi is, he is expected to continue making his presence felt in Gujarat even while being in Delhi. It is bound to happen if Mr. Modi sees Gujarat as the laboratory that prepared him to efficiently govern the office of the prime minister of India.  

Anyway, the business of political ups and downs and the minute-by-minute chaos is back to Delhi. Modi said goodbye to his Gujarat this afternoon and is in Delhi now to establish his base.

कुछ पल ठहर जाते हैं

कुछ पल ठहर जाते हैं 
उस एहसास को जीने को 
जो कहीं चुप बैठ गए हैं 
अजनबी की तरह, बेवजह 
किन्ही दिनों में, उन पलों में 
जो अजनबी थे खुद भी..

©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com/  

THE MAJOR FACTORS BEHIND CLEAR MANDATE TO BJP

GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014

-- Narendra Modi was the only declared prime-ministerial nominee in the fray.

-- Narendra Modi swept the country with an effective campaign using traditional media, social media and high-end technology tools like the 3D holographic projection.

-- Aided by the inefficiency of the INC campaign, Modi customized his speeches according to the place, mood and recent political developments and it connected well with the audiences.

-- The massive anti-incumbency against the Congress-led UPA government wiping the good name and good works of Manmohan Singh earned during his first term as the prime minister from 2004 to 2009.

WHAT LED TO SUCH A HUGE NARENDRA MODI SURGE?

GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014

What led to such a huge Narendra Modi surge?

Now, let’s admit it honestly that it was the Narendra Modi surge, the Modi Wave, that took the BJP beyond 272 Lok Sabha seats marks giving the party a clear mandate to govern the country on its own was much a of a Narendra Modi phenomenon.

Yes, we can safely say it a phenomenon given the fact that it is the first clear majority non-Congress government of independent India and it is after 1984 that a party has got Lok Sabha majority on its own.

This outcome was not expected even by many BJP leaders.

The major factors that can be said to have factored in responsible for the Modi surge are:

GAMES LIFE PLAYS – HOW RECKLESS A LIFE CAN BECOME..

'How reckless life is?'
Vs
'How reckless a life can be?' 

-- The games the existence plays with the identities..

-- Silly pursuits of life when the spirit of living was staring at death..

-- And life recklessly made you love the fatalist in you..

-- And you recklessly followed the fictions of life..

'The games that were to be played differently.'
Vs
'The games that were not to be played.'

-- How reckless a life becomes..

-- Mutilating its own soul while playing with others..

©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com/  

CLEAR MANDATE TO THE BJP IS A WARNING TO NARENDRA MODI

GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014

Clear mandate to the BJP is a warning to Narendra Modi. Perform or perish after 5 years. Shape in or be thrown out.

Yes, that is the clear writing on the wall.

If it is the matter of jubilation for the BJP, it is also a healing sign from the Indian electorate as well, that it is taking well informed decisions beyond the worn-out lines of caste, community and regionalism.

And this healing sign is what the BJP needs to keep in mind while governing the country for the next 5 years.

The clear mandate overwriting the proponents of the day of the coalition politics in India says Indians are willing to give a decisive mandate so as to bypass the hurdles that a coalition alliance presents, as we have seen in the last two decades of the coalition politics at the Union level in India, to take India back on the path of high growth that it looked set to be on when the last decade began.

THE LIFE LOOKED READY TO EXPLAIN..

When I spoke to the sun.

The heat sounded soft spoken.

When I wrote to the moon.

The darkness was wide and open.

When I walked with the rain.

The flow stepped in only to gain.

UTTAR PRADESH: POLARISATION VS COUNTER-POLARISATION

GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014

No Muslim candidate has won from Uttar Pradesh. Call it 'reverse polarisation' or 'counter polarisation' of simply polarisation of the Hindu voters against the perceived 'communalization' of the 'Brand Narendra Modi' pushed hard by his political opponents that has boomeranged. 

The 16th Lok Sabha will not have even a single Muslim representative from Uttar Pradesh. And what is more startling (or analytically remarkable) is, it has happened so for the first time since Independence. 

Though Muslim candidates are runner-ups in as many as 18 constituencies, catering to the logic of 12-15 Muslim MPs in the mainstream fight corresponding to around 18% share of Muslims in UP population, the absolute absence of a Muslim voice from Uttar Pradesh in the Lok Sabha gives rise to the valid questions on the Muslim appeasement politics as has been practiced by the political parties like Congress, SP, BSP, RJD, JDU and other similar members. 

COUNTING DAY: UPDATES 2 PM TO 4 PM

GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014

#Varanasi @ 2:09 PM: Narendra Modi leads by over 1.7 lakh votes – 243039 votes; Arvind Kejriwal – 69551 votes; BSP – 29711 votes; Ajai Rai – 26516 votes; SP – 21075 votes.

Jaswant Singh loses #Barmer. He should have won. His #BJP rehabilitation still possible?

Most of the #INC, #Congress young guns bite the dust – most of them the dynasty products – a welcome development.

Arun Jaitley’s loss from #Amritsar was expected. But he is still expected to be among the senior most ministers of Modi Cabinet.

COUNTING DAY: UPDATES 7 PM TO 9 PM

GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014

#Congress and #SP rout in #UP makes it family affair for them. They fail to win any other constituency that the seats of Gandhi family (2 seats) and Yadav family (5 seats) members.

#Varanasi @ 7:42 PM: Narendra Modi leads by over 3.36 lakh votes - 516593 votes; Arvind Kejriwal - 179739 votes; Ajai Rai - 68080 votes; BSP - 57531 votes; SP – 42242 votes. Final tally not declared yet.

#Vadodara @ 7:42 PM: Narendra Modi leads by over 5.7 lakh votes - 845464 votes; Madhusudan Mistry of #INC - 275336 votes. Mistry is #Congress’ UP in-charge. Final tally not declared yet.

@ 7:54 PM - #Modi leads his constituencies - #Varanasi by over 3.36 lakh votes and #Vadodara by 5.7 lakh votes. Mulayam leads his constituencies – #Azamgarh by 63000 votes and #Mainpuri by 3.64 lakh votes. The contrast and the difference on the scale of acceptability is clear.

COUNTING DAY: UPDATES 4 PM TO 7 PM

GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014

#BJP is to make clean sweep in 6 states, #Gujarat, #Rajasthan, #Delhi, #Uttarakhand, #Himachal Pradesh, #Goa, and 6 union territories (obviously for records only, because except all are single seat constituencies).

#Congress is in imminent danger of losing the ‘leader of opposition’ position. Trends now give it less than 10% of 543 Lok Sabha seats. Having 10% of the seats is the requirement set for a party to have the leader of opposition from its ranks.

Total votes of #Kejriwal, #INC, SP and BSP in #Varanasi, 2.6 lakh, is much less than around 3.5 lakh Muslim votes of Varanasi.

Sonia, Rahul speaking. Take responsibility of Congress drubbing. Let's see the composition of the message.

#Congress comes 3rd in all seats of #Delhi. From 7-0 in 2009, it is 0-7 for the party now.

Rabri Devi loses. #BJP’s Rajiv Pratap Rudy takes winning lead of over 50000 votes. Lalu’s ‘samosa’ didn’t get extra ‘aalu’ (potato).

#Varanasi @ 5:22 PM: Narendra Modi leads by over 3.12 lakh votes - 484726 votes; Arvind Kejriwal - 172273 votes; Ajai Rai - 65243 votes; BSP - 53944 votes; SP – 40628 votes. #Congress regains 3rd position.

©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com/  

COUNTING DAY: UPDATES 12 PM TO 2 PM

GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014

Rahul Gandhi's lead in #Amethi is just over 2000 votes as of now. What are we going to have in store?

Varanasi at 11.24 AM: Narendra Modi - 62218 votes; Arvind Kejriwal - 18322 votes; Ajai Rai - 8037 votes; BSP - 5884 votes; SP - 4784 votes.

After the counting day trends, the scramble for Narendra Modi's Cabinet, is going to make for the headlines next. #ModiCabinet and Modi Cabinet are going to be the top trends.

#BJP wins another much talked about constituency - #Ghaziabad. V K Singh wins by around 50000 votes.

#NarendraModi leading in #Varanasi by 50000 votes as of now. Around 6.5 lakh votes yet to be counted.

COUNTING DAY: UPDATES TILL 12 PM

GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014

Party hopper, alliance hopper, and one of the most well read of the politicians, and the civil aviation minister, Ajit Singh loses Baghpat. The Harit Pradesh politics is to heat up, courtesy his increases spare time now.

#NarendraModi wins #Vadodara by margin of over 4 lakh votes.

Counting Day trends are bettering the Exit Polls projections for #BJP and #NDA as of now. And #UPA big guns are trailing.

Sanjay Jha is on Times Now. How stubborn and silly at times #INC makes its spokespersons, Jha is a classic example. And INC (Indian National Congress) has plenty of them.

'Save Rahul' scramble to come in its totality.

#BJP wins #Chandigarh. Railgate eats into Pawan Bansal's pie.

It would be interesting to hear the Congressmen like Salman Khurshid, Beni Prasad Verma, Sanjay Jha, Kapil Sibal, P Chidambaram, Digvijay Singh, Randeep Surjewala, Satyavrat Chaturvedi, Janardhan Dwivedi, Salman Soj and yes, Ajay Maken. Grab them. Don't let them disappear like #SoniaGandhi and #RahulGandhi disappeared from the posters at #INC HQ. 

©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com/ 

COUNTING DAY: D-DAY OF GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014 IS HERE

GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014

The D-Day of the General Elections 2014 is here. Over 550 millions voted polled across the nine phases are to be counted today.

The initial Counting Day trends by 11AM-Noon will more or less give us a picture that is expected to hold its canvas when the final tally emerges.

And the excitement to know which way it travels is living its refined hours when the counting is to begin in few hours.

The excitement remains intact:

WHY NARENDRA MODI EXPECTS TO WIN VARANASI..

GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014

Apart from the brief stints of the governments of Kalyan Singh and Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh has had SP or BSP governments in the last 25 years or so.

But the city has chosen to continue with the BJP. Congress did win in 2004 but it was more of a BJP loss than a Congress win. The Varanasi parliamentary constituency has shown no interest in these two regional parties in these 25 years making the UP governments largely apathetic to the city’s concerns.

And the resultant attitude of the ruling political class has pushed the city to a development abyss.

The city has seen almost no development in the last 25 years.

VARANASI LOK SABHA ELECTIONS: WINNERS AND CONTENDERS OVER THE YEARS

GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014

1951/1952: Varanasi then as Banaras District (Central) in the Election Commission records

Total poll percentage - 45.19% (

Winner: Raghunath Singh – Indian National Congress - 48.48% votes

Runner-up: Vishwanath Sharma – Socialist Party – 24.28% votes

1957

Winner: Raghunath Singh – Indian National Congress – 54.39% votes

Runner-up: Sheomangal Ram – Independent – 24.55% votes

Total poll percentage - 62.67%

1962

Winner: Raghunath Singh – Indian National Congress – 40% votes

Runner-up: Raghuvira – Jana Sangh – 22.46% votes

Total poll percentage – 63.28%

1967

Winner: Satya Narain Singh – Communist Party of India (Marxist) - 37.55% votes

Runner-up: R. Singh - Indian National Congress - 31.10% votes

Total poll percentage - 59.42%

TO BEGIN YOUR DAY..

My reflections on life – in quotes (LXXX)

“Life may want you to choose,

Between a bad day and a worse day,

To begin a day with.

It is always your decision,

To begin your day with life's whims pushing you,

Or,

With your resolve of making it,

A new day every day,

A good 24 hours,

To celebrate the journey,

That your existence is.”

©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com/ 

BJP AND VARANASI

GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014 

Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) was formed in 1980 after disintegration of the Janata Party and integration of its Jana Sangh elements.

BJP fought its first parliamentary election in 1984 winning just two seats. But it was soon to spread to the extent to stake claim to form government in Uttar Pradesh, to become the principal political opposition and to form the union government in 1996.

The party has had a mixed history when assessed on parameter of political winnability nationally and regionally, but when it comes to Banaras, it has ruled the constituency since 1991 (except 2004).

And though this BJP rule has largely been ineffective for bringing development in Banaras, a constituency that has become the most important parliamentary constituency of the General Elections 2014 with Narendra Modi and Arvind Kejriwal contesting from the seat, the prospect of being the parliamentary constituency of the prime minister has once again pushed for looking back to the BJP history in the constituency.

VARANASI: ELECTORS’ PARTICIPATION IN DIFFERENT LOK SABHA ELECTIONS

GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014

1951/1952

Banaras District (Central) - 45.19%

Raghunath Singh – Indian National Congress

1957 - 62.67%  

Raghunath Singh – Indian National Congress

1962 - 63.28%

Raghunath Singh – Indian National Congress

1967 - 59.42% -

Satya Narain Singh – Communist Party of India (Marxist)

1971 - 55.48%

Raja Ram Shastri – Indian National Congress

1977 - 55.83%

Chandra Shekhar – Bhartiya Lok Dal

OVER 55%: A NEEDED JUMP IN VARANASI POLL PERCENTAGE

GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014

At around 6:15 PM, when the press officer of the Election Commission held its presser, the calculated poll percentage in Varanasi was at over 55% (55.34% to be precise).

And it is to go up when the Election Commission releases the finally tabulated data.

It is indeed an achievement for the Banarasis and the political spirit of the city, the religious and spiritual capital of India, to change and to adopt the change, a need of the day to raise its voice on the neglect it is facing and to demand growth and development.

Yes, it can be said the figure of 55% is not something to feel good about. But when we see it in the context of the electoral history of Varanasi and in the backdrop of the voting trends in the metro cities of the country, we find the jump is good enough.

Varanasi has not seen its poll percentage crossing 50% mark since 1984 when the Lok Sabha election in the city registered 54.94% voting. In 2009 polls, the poll percentage was 42.61%.

VARANASI, PLEASE GO OUT AND VOTE..

GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014 

Varanasi‬, please go out and vote to rewrite the records. 

Make it the highest ever to elect a candidate this time who can bring the real development to the city - a city neglected for decades - a city facing a development chasm - a city, my city, your city, our city - a city that has become synonymous with some example of an infrastructure nightmare.

Varanasi is, technically, a metro city now for many years and the basic civic amenities that should be for a metro city that is also a global tourism attraction - piped water, piped gas, 24-hour electricity, a proper city transport, an efficient administration for health and educational facilities, a modern airport – these basic requirements are a far cry for the city that is one of the major contributors to India’s tourism earning; a city that is educational, spiritual and cultural hub; a city that is one of the very few places in the world having seen the shades of human civilization since the human civilization began.

And Varanasi of the day fails miserably on almost of these development parameters. 

This time, it has to be about electing someone who could bring the much delayed and desperately needed development to the city - and being the parliamentary constituency of a prime minister has this potential to develop further - its rational and logical choice. 

©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com/ 

THE POLITICAL REPRESENTATIVE VARANASI NEEDS

GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014

Varanasi has been a neglected constituency. The city has seen almost no development in the last 25 years.

The civic infrastructure is in mess. It is tainting its spiritual aspect, the lifeline of Banaras and the pivot of Indian Spiritualism.

There are no roads or there are roads trying to find the smooth patches on the continuum of concrete rubble that creates a hazy kaleidoscope when mixed with the dust found on every walkable stretch of the city, a panorama that obstructs the view and chokes the senses.

Varanasi is, technically, a metro city now for many years and the basic civic amenities that should be for a metro city that is also a global tourism attraction - piped water, piped gas, 24-hour electricity, a proper city transport, an efficient administration for health and educational facilities, a modern airport – these basic requirements are a far cry for the city that is one of the major contributors to India’s tourism earning; a city that is educational, spiritual and cultural hub; a city that is one of the very few places in the world having seen the shades of human civilization since the human civilization began.

And Varanasi’s tourism potential owes its genesis to the Ganga and Lord Shiva and the in-built religious and spiritual ecosystem around it.

MAY 10: LAST DAY OF CAMPAIGNING IN VARANASI

GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014

The last day of campaigning for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in Varanasi saw three road-shows apart from the routine political events.

Candidates from other parties (than Congress, BJP and AAP) continued with their campaign. 42 candidates are in fray including Kailash Chaurasia from the Samajwadi Paty and Vijay Jaiswal from the Bahujan Samaj Party. Though insignificant for the outcome, it was good for the SP candidate’s morale that he had road-show by Akhilesh Yadav on the last day of campaigning.

On follow-up developments, the BJP pitched up its rhetoric against the Election Commission and the Varanasi district administration for allowing rallies of Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav to pass through Beniabagh while denying Modi for the same.

Before it, the Election Commission appointed a special poll observer for Varanasi. The move is being seen as resulting from the pressure mounted by the BJP coupled with the Election Commissioner HS Brahma’s stand criticising the Election Commission on the issue of denial of permission to Modi’s election rallies in Varanasi on May 8. The EC raid on the BJP’s office in Varanasi today only added to the bitterness.

RAHUL’S ROAD-SHOW IN VARANASI: FIRST HALF OF MAY 10 - LAST DAY OF CAMPAIGNING IN VARANASI

GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014

The last day of campaigning for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in Varanasi began with Rahul Gandhi’s road-show continuing the series of high voltage political drama that started unveiling in the religious and spiritual capital of India on May 7 when Amethi voted in the 8^th phase of the polls.

Today’s road-show of Rahul Gandhi was less of a solidarity show for the Congress candidate from Varanasi, Ajai Rai, and more of a tit-for-tat reply to Narendra Modi’s election event in Amethi that drew huge crowd there.

Before Narendra Modi’s Amethi move, Ajai Rai was sounding like a lost voice on his demand for campaigning by the Nehru-Gandhi family and other top brass of the Congress party in the city. No one paid attention to him.

But Modi’s Amethi rally left the Congress party no option but to take charge directly against Modi in Varanasi in order to look and sound unfazed by the Modi Factor. And Rahul was chosen to lead the front for obvious reasons.

Anyway, given the pro-Modi sentiments in Varanasi and an intensive campaigning by Arvind Kejriwal, especially for the minority votes, the route of Rahul’s rally was chosen that covered areas with dense Muslim population, so as to move and mobilize the crowd to the road-show, from Peeli Kothi/Gol Gadda area (Muslim dominated localities) on the outskirts of the city (on the Rajghat side) to the Lanka gate of Banaras Hindu University. Then there were other Muslim dominated localities, Beniabagh, Nai Sadak and Madanpura, en-route to maintain the momentum.

And this strategy coupled with Ajai Rai’s local support did work to gather enough momentum to bring enough people to Rahul’s road-show. But, in totality, it was like the crowds seen during Kejriwal’s road-show yesterday, successful on election campaigning parameters, but no match to Modi’s massive show of strength in his road-show on May 8 that was technically not a road-show given the fact he was denied permission for the same and is now facing allegations of violating the Section 144.

But the success of Rahul’s road-show raises the obvious point - if not too little, it is certainly too late. Had it been held earlier, could it have helped Ajai Rai and Congress to position better against a formidable rival whose win from Varanasi is written beyond any doubt? Ajai Rai will be pinning his hope on the show now to help him become the Number 2 in the constituency.

MAY 9: DAY 3 IN VARANASI, BEFORE THE CAMPAIGNING ENDS ON MAY 10

GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014

The penultimate day of campaigning in Varanasi (before the campaigning ends on May 10) witnessed the expected high profile, high pitched political events.

Narendra Modi addressed five rallies, 2 in Eastern Uttar Pradesh (in Mirzapur and Ghazipur, adjoining areas of Varanasi) and 3 in Bihar, and the issue of denial of permission to his election events in Varanasi yesterday was the major element in each.

BJP continued protesting and demanding the Varanasi DM’s removal. On the contrary, as reported, the DM sent a report to the Central Election Commission on Modi’s road-show yesterday on violation of Section 144.

The CEC maintained its stand on defending the acts of the DM. Meanwhile a report came that claimed that some security personnel from Gujarat had claimed security threat for Modi with Beniabagh rally venue.

The other major Varanasi-centric event of the day was Arvind Kejriwal’s road-show in Varanasi. Though some reports claimed the road-show attracted huge crowd, the situation on ground was not corresponding.

THE READING WAS MISCHIEVOUS..

The taxi was not driven.

The driver was not smitten.

The ginger was maniacal.

The mister was on sabbatical.

The ride was jumping, groovy.

The guide was thumping, curvy.

The taxi was bubbly high.

The driver was suitably shy.

MODI’S MASSIVE ROAD-SHOW: DAY 2 IN VARANASI, BEFORE THE CAMPAIGNING ENDS ON MAY 10

GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014

Modi's road-show in Varanasi, from the helipad of Banaras Hindu University to the city office of the BJP, and the huge crowd moving with it is a classic case of how the decisions taken in frustration and panic boomerang – in this case the initial denial of the permission to the rallies of Narendra Modi in Varanasi and the subsequent flip-flop by the Varanasi district administration resulting in the delayed permission over Modi's rallies that boomeranged and hit back massively.

And the way the BJP has exploited the developments, it shows undoubtedly a sound presence of mind and an equally sound campaign management by the BJP core team.

It is praiseworthy if seen from a neutral analytical perspective.

If seen from the campaign management angle, the refusal of the ‘delayed’ permission for Modi’s Beniabagh rally and Ganga Aarti by the BJP was a masterstroke, a deft move that resulted in an almost 5 Kms long road-show with people on both sides of the road that just ended after spending quite a long time (over 3 hours) on Varanasi roads. 

And there was much more crowd on the roads and in the streets than it was visible on the TV screens.

MAY 8 MORNING: DAY 2 IN VARANASI, BEFORE THE CAMPAIGNING ENDS ON MAY 10

GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014

Sympathy is always good for electoral politics. And when there is an issue to score sympathy midst an ongoing election, the beneficiary is going to be virtually unstoppable in exploiting the ends to gain the electoral mileage.

And the flip-flop by the Varanasi District Magistrate with a ‘Yadav’ surname yesterday on giving permission to Narendra Modi’s election events in Varanasi, with perceived elements of a sort of conspiracy hatched by the ruling Yadav family of Uttar Pradesh (if the BJP allegations are to be taken in account) was a perfect fodder for the BJP.

Narendra Modi has already won the Varanasi constituency. Main focus of the BJP is to maximize the impact of the Modi factor in the remaining seats of Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to score as many wins as possible.