With Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Varanasi scheduled for Friday, the Bharatiya Janata Party will extend its election campaign to the eastern region of Uttar Pradesh.
This is the BJP prime ministerial candidate’s first rally after the results of the four State elections are out.
In the previous four Vijay Shanknaad rallies in Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Modi avoided the issue of Ram Mandir. Now, he is scheduled to visit the famous Sankatmochan and Vishwanath temples in the city before attending the rally.
Mr. Modi’s temple visit might clash with the Friday prayers of Muslims. District Magistrate Pranjal Yadav said the BJP accepted his request and made changes to the schedule so that Mr. Modi’s temple visit would conclude before the prayers.
Professor Badri Narayan Tiwari of the G.B Pant Institute of Social Sciences, Allahabad, says there are strong trends towards “Hindutvisation” and polarisation in the party’s approach. The party’s selection of venues in U.P. is an indication.
