Modi-less final campaign strategy for Kashi

VARANASI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is unlikely to campaign for himself in Kashi as the 2019 election juggernaut rolls into its last lap, the run-up to which will though witness rallies of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and the Akhilesh-Mayawati mahagathbandhan.
While Modi has dropped a clear hint that he’s “giving the responsibility of his victory to the people of Varanasi”, a battery of Union and state ministers, besides UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, is expected to fill in the gap on Thursday and Friday.

Addressing Varanasi through an 11-minute video message on Tuesday, the PM said: “When I filed my nomination after holding a roadshow, you asked me not to campaign and said you will take that responsibility. I have full confidence in you. Each and every native of Kashi is contesting this election on my behalf. I don’t need to say anything more.”
The message from Modi came after BJP president Amit Shah’s meeting with senior leaders on Monday night to finalise strategy for the last round.
If party sources are to be believed, the BJP has decided to send a contingent of Union ministers, state ministers from outside UP and senior leaders to cover each of the 90 wards in the city as well as gram panchayats, which will all witness padyatras. The list of campaigners and their areas would be finalised by Wednesday morning.
Modi’s itinerary for the next three days, uploaded on the NaMo app, says he will address public meetings at Paliganj in Bihar, Deoghar in Jharkhand, and Basirhat and Diamond Harbour in Bengal on Wednesday.
On May 16, he will address people at Ghosi, Chandauli and Mirzapur in UP, and Mathurapur and Dumdum in Bengal. On the last day (May 17) of campaigning, he will be in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh.
The PM, who visited Kashi at least 20 times after assuming office in 2014, in his video message not only talked about his emotional and spiritual connect with the city but also highlighted development under him.Giving credit to residents for the smooth execution of all projects, including the Kashi Vishwanath corridor, he asked them to set a new record in voting.