Parties hope for a higher turnout in Varanasi

Will the high-decibel campaign by almost all political parties and candidates result in an increase in the polling percentage in Varanasi — a constituency that has never shown much interest to turn to the polling booths? In the 2009 elections, the polling percentage was just over 42 per cent.

This time, all major parties expect a higher turnout, as Uttar Pradesh has witnessed historical increase in the voting percentage in all the other phases of elections. There are about 16 lakh voters in the city. In the last elections, the total votes polled were 6,65,490.

In this election, a tough triangular fight is being witnessed among the Bharatiya Janata party, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party. All parties claim that they received a warm response from the voters during the campaign. Pollsters predict that given the response each party got during the campaign, the margin of the winner will not be very big.

The BJP is confident of achieving a record margin for its prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi. Apart from the upper-castes, the party hopes a big section of the Other Backward Classes and Dalits will vote for Modi. The party’s campaign has been meticulous with the RSS activists taking a key role in the management.

The Congress too is happy after the reception received to the road show of the Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi. The crowd presence has increased the confidence in the Congress camps. The party’s candidate, Ajay Rai, has been saying that Varanasi results will be a surprise to the country. The party’s key hope is ‘undivided’ Muslim votes, which can touch about four lakh.

The AAP and its supremo, Arvind Kejriwal, has also focussed his campaigning among the minorities and the backward communities. The AAP believes that youngsters — cutting across caste and religious barriers — will vote for Kejriwal.

There has been demand by all parties except the Samajwadi Party to increase the security cover in the communally-sensitive city. A police raid in the BJP office and confiscation of some of the campaign materials led to an argument with the police and the BJP activists.