External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar expressed confidence in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) victory in Varanasi, noting that extensive election campaigning is unnecessary due to the city’s pride in India’s global status under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
Speaking to ANI in Varanasi, Jaishankar observed that the city’s residents have shown a keen interest in India’s foreign policy, reflecting their pride in the nation’s progress. “I have experienced during this election campaign that people wish to know more about the country’s foreign policy. They feel proud of where PM Modi has taken this country,” Jaishankar said.
He emphasized the Modi government’s tradition of soliciting feedback from citizens, highlighting its commitment to participatory governance. “It’s the Modi government’s tradition to ask for feedback from people… We don’t need to do much election campaign here in Varanasi,” he added.
Jaishankar also discussed the government’s efforts to promote Varanasi, noting the celebration of the G20 summit in about 60 cities across India. He expressed optimism that tourism would increase in Varanasi, enhancing its international image. “We celebrated G20 like a festival in about 60 cities across the country… I think tourism will definitely increase here in the coming days… We want to promote Kashi. We want to create its international image,” he said.
During his visit to Varanasi, Jaishankar engaged with educators and intellectuals, underscoring the importance of education in shaping India’s future. At a session titled “Empowerment with Education for Better Tomorrow” at a local school, he highlighted the relevance of education in a modern, technological, and globalized era, and its role in fostering inclusivity and nurturing India’s civilizational power.
Reflecting on Varanasi’s unique position, Jaishankar attributed the city’s minimal need for extensive election campaigning to its inherent pride in India’s global achievements. “When I was given this subject, Teaching For a Better Tomorrow, I thought a bit about it and four dimensions came into my mind. Education for a modern era but for a technological era, education for a globalised era, education for an inclusive Bharat, and it’s obvious to say it in Kashi, education for a civilisational power. We are very special people… Two major powers who have a whole long civilisation, one is us and one is China,” he remarked.
Varanasi, a BJP stronghold and PM Modi’s constituency, includes five Assembly segments: Rohaniya, Varanasi North, Varanasi South, Varanasi Cantt, and Sevapuri. PM Modi won the constituency with a substantial majority in both the 2014 and 2019 general elections.
In the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Congress has fielded Ajay Rai as the Opposition INDIA bloc’s joint nominee against PM Modi. Rai, the UP Congress chief, previously contested against Modi in Varanasi in the 2014 and 2019 elections, finishing third both times. In 2019, PM Modi secured the seat with over 674,664 votes and a vote share of 63.6 percent. In 2014, Modi won against AAP chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal with a margin exceeding 300,000 votes.
PM Modi contested two Lok Sabha seats in 2014, from Gujarat’s Vadodara and Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi, winning both.
Comments