Varanasi: From a city of holy pilgrimage, Varanasi has turned into a battlefield of ideologies, and at the last phase of Elections 2014, into a battlefield of money power. Hidden beneath the road shows and mega rallies is the gorilla of money power. A crowd of two lakhs does not spring from nowhere, but are brought to the state at an enormous cost.
The elections are attracting people from all parts of India. From Maharashtra, hundreds of volunteers have come, leaving their jobs. Trains tickets are sold out, and flight tickets are too expensive. Many have jumped into overcrowded general compartments of trains, to arrive at Varanasi sleepless and exhausted.
The first thing you would notice in Varanasi is that the city is extremely polarised. In some parts, you would see a Modi Fatigue. The attacks on peaceful AAP supporters have shocked the peace-loving Banarsi babus.
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While AAP supporters are travelling on foot distributing caps, Modi supporters move around on bikes and cars. AAP workers are trying to build from grass roots while Modified workers are focusing on grand shows. It would take exactly five years for AAP to build at the grass roots pan-India, Modi’s jet-set would take five days to cover the entire India. In the technological warfare, Modi’s fighters are far superior, but Kejriwal’s volunteers will give Modi a run for his money.
Whether history wins by duplicating Delhi, or the invincible juggernaut wins, it’s the epic battle of 2014. Â
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