The government should be praised where credit is due. While on one hand, they are playing the Hindutva card in order to attract the votes of people who consider their religion more important than public welfare but at the same time, what the BJP government is doing in Varanasi, even just for the sake of getting votes in the UP election is still a commendable job. Not the entire Varanasi is modified and changed. Still, it’s the same, garbage piles, clogged streets, encroachments and above all too much commercialization. Temple complexes are still unclean. You will find stray dogs and cows roaming within the temple complexes, dirt accumulating here and there, water running down from an unknown source. While Modi hasn’t turned Varanasi into Kyoto or even Gujarat yet, there is no denying that things have changed here, though not by the magnitude the outsiders may expect.
Varanasi (Kashi) is the most ancient city in the world and one of the Holy places for Hindus because of the Kashi Vishwanath temple and the Holy River Ganga, according to the Hindu Mythological beliefs if you take bath in Ganga then you will be pure. People take the water of Ganga to their homes for the purification of the place where they live.
Today after so many development activities completed & so many in its last stage of completion & many new projects also launched & on the ground lots of changes can be noticed, still, Ganges is much cleaner than before. Modi Launched the program Namami Ganga for the purification of the Ganga water. In fact, he made one separate Ministry for Ganga and then the in charge of that ministry was Uma Bharti but after the three years when Modi realized that the work is not up to the mark then he transferred that department to Nitin Gadkari, and some progress could be seen.
The National Waterway developed under the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) will generate around 1.55 lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities, thereby impacting the rural economy positively. As part of the NW-1 project, the Multi-Modal Terminal (MMT) has been constructed on River Ganga in Varanasi. The project is expected to create 55,000 employment opportunities in UP and 50,000 each in Bihar and Jharkhand, he added. Also, it will benefit local communities and farmers along the banks of the Ganga.
Modalities of ferry services, small jetties and vessels are being worked out to facilitate the movement of smaller cargo like agricultural products like bananas, marigold flowers, betel leaf, and vegetables. Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is working with State Livelihood Missions for imparting skill training to youth, boatmen and other community members so that they could benefit from the employment opportunities.
From the ghats to railway stations, public places are becoming more bearable and cleaner now. Thanks to the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, certain places of Varanasi like BHU and Assi Ghat are being paid attention, and are much cleaner. Though this needs to spread over the whole town, and this is the responsibility of the municipality.
Upcoming elections forced to pull the socks; BJP is trying its level best to deliver something so that they can talk about hardcore development. Old rulers of the state, BSP and SP keeping no stone unturned, Congress trying its hand and Priyanka Gandhi successfully revived Congress’s fate in Uttar Pradesh. AAP is not very active this time, thousands of Volunteers of BJP and Congress working for their respective leaders in the state, online promotions, social network campaigns, news, word publicity, everything is random for both the ministers. Without a strong performance in this belt, the BJP will not be able to come anywhere near the 272-seat target it has set, and it feels that Modi attending some rallies induce some kind of a swing. BJP policymakers feel that with the western UP already polarized, they need one more boost for eastern UP, so as to bag the entire state. For Yogi people have mixed reactions, e is most hated by some and loved by few.
Uttar Pradesh is a very important state for BJP, BSP and SP. But since there is a division of votes it is possible for an individual to get elected to the Parliament (or to the Legislative assembly) with just about 22 to 30 per cent of the total votes cast. This is a regular but unwelcome aspect of elections in caste-ridden states, particularly in Uttar Pradesh. Earlier the Congress was benefiting from the division of votes. Now BJP may be a beneficiary. But there is still uncertainty.
Meanwhile, good roads,24 hrs. electricity, many new road projects like ring road, airport to junction railway station road etc., all roads in the city have lights now, underground wiring, incinerator and ghat cleaning, many trains from Varanasi to different places of India, trade facilitation centre, many colonies now got interlocking brick roads, sewer connection to every house. These are the things that can fetch a fortune for BJP. But demolished temples and traditional houses of people may dent Yogi’s votes. Above all Brahmin, Voters are not happy with BJP and whichever side they go, that party wins.
BJP has done some development in Kashi but otherwise, irresponsible leaders of the party never established any communication with people. They never visited their constituency, Yogi failed at various levels. Let’s see how BJP regains power in 2022.
