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Even though there is still time left for the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the game of check-mate has already started on the political chessboard of the state. Political parties have started sharpening their strategies for the grand contest to be held in the year 2027. In this series, Uttar Pradesh Congress State President Ajay Rai has given such a big and shocking statement, which has created an earthquake in the politics of the state. Ajay Rai has shouted directly about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi (Banaras). He has claimed that in the upcoming assembly elections, Congress and the opposition alliance together will wipe out the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on all the 8 assembly seats of Banaras. Let us analyze this big claim from a reporter’s point of view and know how much truth it has.
Congress makes big noise in PM Modi’s stronghold Banaras Varanasi is considered to be the strongest and impenetrable fort of BJP, from where PM Modi himself is an MP. In such a situation, this statement of Ajay Rai is a direct challenge to the biggest stronghold of BJP. The Congress President believes that in the recent past, resentment has increased among the people of Banaras and surrounding areas regarding local issues, inflation and unemployment. Ajay Rai said that Congress workers are now contacting people by going door to door and this time the public is in the mood for change. His confidence is infusing new enthusiasm in the opposition camp, but political pundits are considering it a very difficult and bold claim.
What do the current political equations of Varanasi say? If we look at the current political scenario of all the 8 assembly seats of Varanasi district, here BJP and its allies have complete dominance. North, South, Cantt, Sewapuri, Ajgara, Pindra, Shivpur and Rohania seats of Varanasi city are considered to be the strong vote bank of BJP alliance. In the last elections, Congress had to face a tough defeat here, Ajay Rai himself has contested elections from here. In such a situation, rising from zero or very weak position and winning all the 8 seats will be no less than a miracle for Congress. This is the reason why the opposition parties are calling this claim of Ajay Rai as completely ‘fantastical’ and a statement meant to amuse the workers.
Will the strength of alliance and local issues change the game? The reason behind this confidence of Ajay Rai is believed to be the changed figures of Lok Sabha elections and the strength of the strong alliance with Samajwadi Party (SP). Congress strategists believe that if the cadre of SP and Congress fight together on the ground with full force, they can make a big dent in the traditional vote bank of BJP. Apart from this, by capitalizing on issues like weavers’ problems, ground reality of local development and anti-incumbency (anti-incumbency wave), Congress is dreaming of creating a new history in the politics of Banaras.
Breaking through BJP’s fortification is a big challenge for Congress. On the other hand, BJP is in no mood to show any laxity regarding this VVIP bastion of itss. BJP’s strong organization from Panna Pramukh to booth level and the face of PM Modi himself is the biggest strength of the party here. After this statement of Ajay Rai, BJP will definitely make its strategy more aggressive. Now it will be very interesting to see whether this claim of Ajay Rai remains just a political statement in the battle of 2027 or whether Congress really succeeds in making a big upset in this strongest fort of Banaras.