Fingers crossed: Will Modi make some big announcements?
VARANASI: There is palpable excitement among the residents here on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to his parliamentary constituency, after taking over as PM. Would there be some big-ticket announcements then?
“Modi loves to spring a surprise. Given his focus on development, don’t be surprised if along with his known itinerary, he decides to make some impromptu announcements,” a BJP insider said adding, “Don’t be surprised if he picks up a broom to clean the river banks to give a message about the need to keep Varanasi, which continues to stink, clean.”
A BJP leader who had met the PM recently said the PM had set his mind on developing not just his constituency but also nearly the whole of eastern UP. “He has some plans for the Maoist affected belt of Mirzapur, Bhadohi and Chandauli, which are extremely backward and have been neglected by the successive state governments,” he said. Despite his hectic schedule with a long list of visitors seeking an audience with their high profile MP - and this includes several NRIs from Varanasi who have come down specially to meet him - the PM is expected to take time out to hear the ‘aam aadmi.’ “Though the list of those wanting to meet the PM is long, Modiji has decided to give a patient hearing to the common man at his local MP office at Ravindrapuri,” UP BJP chief Laxmikant Bajpai who arrived here on Thursday told HT.
From Pindra, the constituency of Congress MLA Ajay Rai, to Muslim-dominated Lallapura virtually everyone appears to be anxious about meeting him.
“If he has time for us, we will surely like to meet and brief him about our problems,” says Mohammad Irfan.“There is a need to restore the glory of Banarsi saree. We hear that weavers will be able to post their designs online once the trade facilitation centre comes up. If that happens it would be a big thing,” he said. Congress MLA Ajay Rai whom Modi defeated in the Lok Sabha elections is among those queued up to meet him.