The Road Ahead

It is amply clear why BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has chosen to contest from Varanasi: This is the best place from where he can espouse his Hindutva ideology (“Hope Floats for BJP”, March 31). Every nook and corner of Varanasi is filled with the NaMo chant. Apart from aggressive campaigning, what has also worked for Modi is the fact that he has been able to capitalise on the social media boom and mobilise youth support. After a decade of having a prime minister who is highly reticent, in Modi India seems to have found a vociferous alternative who doesn’t shy away from taking a stand. Now, all we need to do is wait till May 16 to find out if Modi indeed has the last laugh. KANISHKA PATHAK, Dhanbad BJP has become synonymous with Modi. A great performance in Gujarat has become Modi’s passport to the Centre. UPA’s dismal governance over the last 10 years and the failure of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to capitalise on the momentum it gained after being voted to power in Delhi have made BJP’s chances brighter. However, differences among Modi’s supporters and detractors could spoil the grand saffron show. V.K.TANGRI, via email Your article establishes the symbolic and cardinal importance of Varanasi in the elections which can hardly be disputed by any psephologist. The influential spiritual leaders of the city hold sway over the psyche of the entire region. Indian elections are won at the grassroots level and polls are still affected largely by caste equations and less by development issues. SAURABH SINGH, Gurgaon While Varanasi may be the ideal constituency for Modi to contest from, his opponents might just cash in on this development to highlight that his choice of constituency clearly shows his Hindutva leanings,

which in turn can affect his minority vote bank. LOPAMUDRA SANYAL, Bangalore It is understandable that L.K. Advani must have felt overshadowed by the growing influence of Narendra Modi. Yet, Advani, being an astute politician, should have made his best efforts to ensure that the party succeeds in winning a majority in the polls and that he should not be seen as a stumbling block in Modi’s way (“Mind the Gap”, March 31). Advani must also consider that the present political scenario is youth-centric and many veteran politicians have been handing over the charge to next-generation leaders. In BJP’s interest, Advani must not express his annoyance with the party or its policies in public and try and sort out issues amicably. P.K. SRIVASTAVA, Delhi