Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently on a two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency, Varanasi. The venue and timings have been carefully chosen.
Two nearby districts, Allahabad (Phulpur parliamentary constituency) and Gorakhpur will see Lok Sabha by polls soon as these seats have been vacated by UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and CM Yogi Adityanath respectively.
Moreover, the Adityanath government has just completed six months on September 19.
While hailing Adityanath’s efforts in the past six months in the state, the PM took on the previous governments, saying they hated development and “looted” the public. “I compliment the UP government for their focus on the development of the state and the attention paid to eastern UP,” the PM said, lauding the CM.
His praise of Adityanath will have a ripple effect in nearby Gorakhpur, which goes to poll after a few weeks of this visit. The CM's many decisions in the past six months, including the closure of illegal abattoirs, have attracted much criticism from various corners. A pat on Adityanath’s back will not only strengthen the UP chief minister’s position in the eyes of electorate, but will also send a positive message to the voters of Gorakhpur.
During his two-day visit, Modi will inaugurate and dedicate projects worth Rs 1,000 crore, covering various areas, including infrastructure, railways, financial inclusion and sanitation.
During his speech at Varanasi, Modi spoke about ‘development’ and explained how to take the state forward by adopting progressive measures. The speech will also send the right message to voters in Phulpur, which is about 100km from Varanasi.
During his visit, PM Modi paid special attention to weavers of Varanasi. "Our weavers need a global market and that will enhance their economic prospects significantly," Modi said after inaugurating a facilitation centre for weavers in Varanasi. Varanasi-Bhadohi-Allahabad belt has a sizeable number of weaver population—a good vote bank for any political party.
The BJP wants to win Gorakhpur and Phulpur seats with a handsome margin, and so the party is leaving no stone unturned in praising the CM and wooing the weaving community.
The visit is historic in the sense that probably it is for the first time that both the PM and the CM will be staying in one city together for two days.
Modi began his visit by inaugurating a trade facilitation centre for handicrafts at Bada Lalpur, named Deendayal Hastkala Sankul, after RSS ideologue Deendayal Upadhyaya. The centre, built at a cost of Rs 300 crore, will provide a platform for weavers of the area to market their products.
Mahamana Express train, built under PM Modi's Make in India initiative, and named after former Hindu Mahasabha president Madan Mohan Malviya, has been flagged off. The PM will also inaugurate micro finance services of the Utkarsh Bank.
On Saturday, PM Modi will take part in a sanitation drive in Shahanshahpur village and distribute certificates to beneficiaries of the PM's housing scheme. The prime minister will also dedicate to the nation a community kitchen (Annakshetra) near the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple.
