Saffron workers, BJP leaders flood Varanasi

Abhijit Chandra, a young BJP youth wing worker, has come here all the way from Bardhaman district in West Bengal to canvass for prime minister Narendra Modi, who is seeking re-election from here.

It is not that Chandra's absence in the campaigning here would have made any difference but he just wanted to do his bit for Modi. ''I simply want to be part of the campaign,'' he says in broken Hindi.

Realising his limitations with Hindi language, Chandra has decided to focus on the sizable Bengali community, that has made Varanasi their home.

''Many others like me have also come here from Bengal to canvass support for Modiji,'' he informs while speaking to DH here.

Hundreds of saffron activists, BJP workers and leaders have descended on Varanasi from different parts of the country. While some have come here on their own, some others were asked to join the campaigning.

A local BJP leader said that around five thousand BJP workers and leaders had arrived here from three states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi only.

''These workers will be part of our knock the door campaign in which they will approach the electorate with voter's slip and urge him or her to vote,'' said a district BJP leader here.

''We are sure Modji is going to win...there is no challenge to him...this campaign is aimed at increasing his margin of victory,'' he said.

Every worker would be visiting at least ten households with the voter's slips, he said adding that separate teams of women workers would also be formed.

Besides an army of senior BJP leaders, including union ministers, has also been camping in the temple town to supervise and manage the campaigning.

Union minister Piyus Goyal, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, BJP national president Amit Shah were also camping here. Shah, who would be holding a roadshow in Gorakhpur in support of party nominee Ravi Kishan, would return here and was ikely to stay put here till the campaigning came to an end.

It was not yet clear if Modi would be here on the polling day or before it. ''Modiji may arrive here on Friday and spend a night,'' the BJP leader said.