‘Modi factor will no longer work’
VARANASI: Ajay Rai, Uttar Pradesh Congress president and also the face of the INDIA bloc against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi, has been actively campaigning on ground zero in his constituency for the past many days. Top leaders of the alliance, including SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, have already campaigned for him. Rahul Gandhi is expected to visit Varanasi on May 28. HT’s caught up with Rai amidst his hectic campaign schedule. The Congress leader claims things are not any longer smooth for Modi. He is also hopeful of the SP-Congress alliance wiping out the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. Excerpts from an exclusive interview in Varanasi:
Gaurav Saigal Of the 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh, 13 will go to polls in the seventh and last phase on June 1. What is your analysis of the election in the last six phases?
The BJP got a strong message right from the first phase. With every passing phase, the alliance (Opposition INDIA bloc) became stronger. Voters in Uttar Pradesh will eventually cut the ground from under his (Narendra Modi’s) feet and this will happen due to the BJP’s own policies. The BJP has in the past 10 years brought in brokers from Gujarat for every work, even election management. The party cadre has been used just as fillers in road shows. I have been a BJP MLA thrice and I know things in-depth. In Atalji’s time, the cadre was respected, but not any more.
You are facing Narendra Modi for the third time in Varanasi after 2014 and 2019. How do you see this election?
Janata bholi hoti hai (People are innocent). In 2014, voters thought Modi is superman and will change their destiny. In 2019, it was the misuse of the Pulwama incident that helped
Modi win the elections. He cheated people in the name of Pulwama. But Modi’s credibility is zero. His (Modi) “400-paar” and “80 mein 80” slogans have no takers. Even the t-shirts with the slogan “NaMo again” printed on them have been kept under wraps by the partymen. Elections are won by winning hearts, not with money. This time, money won’t work for garnering votes. Youth are troubled with price rise and unemployment, but for the BJP it’s business first.
What election strategy does the (INDIA) alliance have?
You see my voter graph has been consistent in every election. This is a reflection that my voter support is strong. There are many holes in Modi’s vote chunk. We are talking about youths, farmers, women and the guarantees for every section. In fact, Modi has on his own helped us take our (Congress) manifesto to homes.
Why do you think Modi will lose the election?
Modi never stayed for a night in Varanasi in the previous elections. But this year, he stayed on May 13 night and also on May 21. The reason is that things are going worse. The road shows are also evidence (of this). In Modi’s road show, thousands of those lining the road sides were ASHA workers, anganwadi workers, women cops in civil dress, teachers and people brought from about two-dozen other districts. In our road show with Priyanka Gandhi and Dimple Yadav (on May 25), the strength on the road was 10 times more, particularly all locals. It was due to enthusiasm that our road show had to be cut short. They are planning to bring in 18 chief ministers. All this because the situation is not favourable for the BJP. After Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav’s road show on May 28, you will find Modi leaving the road and moving in the bylanes of Varanasi.
THE BJP GOT A STRONG MESSAGE RIGHT FROM THE FIRST PHASE. WITH EVERY PASSING PHASE, THE ALLIANCE (OPPOSITION INDIA BLOC) BECAME STRONGER.
How strong is the alliance this election?
They (the BJP) are in an alliance with Apna Dal (S), a party of just “pati-patni” (couple), where one is an MP and the other an MLA. Their leader Anupriya Patel will lose her own election in Mirzapur. The BJP is in an alliance with RLD, luring them with benefits. (Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party chief) OP Rajbhar has himself said he will make the BJP people ring a bell. Sanjay Nishad, another leader in the BJP alliance, isn’t the representative of the community he claims to be. Our alliance is of strong people and parties. We have national leaders.
Why is the Congress contesting only 17 seats in U.P?
It’s a national level decision by the party. Our focus is to win seats with people’s support.
Before the number of seats for the Congress, it will be the number of seats for the INDIA bloc in the country and the state.
The BJP claims they transformed Varanasi in the past 10 years. What is your take?
You will find nothing here. The name of DLW (Diesel Locomotive Works) was changed to BLW (Banaras Locomotive Works) which you can’t call progress. The lifeline of Varanasi, the Ganga, remains troubled with dirty water. The tent city project has got a notice from the National Green Tribunal. The cruise project could not take off. On board, they serve beer, which is strongly against the (holy city’s) culture.
Your take on the Kashi Vishwanath corridor?
I would ask where have all the ancient and priceless idols taken out while widening the temple complex gone? The Lakshmi Narayan idol made of Kasauti stone (used to check the quality of gold) is replaced. Akshayvat, a sacred tree for the Hindus, was chopped by Gujarati contractors.
Idols from Dhoondiraj Ganesh temple, Mukteshwar Mahadev temple and several others are missing. The BJP gives the slogan “Virasat bhi vikas bhi” (heritage and development) but have they not destroyed virasat and left out development? We have BHU, Kashi Vidyapeeth. What have they done for these (institutions)? Varanasi was the seat of Sanskrit learning and Hindi shorthand was developed in the lanes here. What have they done to all this. All these answers will come on June 1 (the polling day in Varanasi).