Varanasi- God's Own Constituency:Dilemma of Narendra Modi's prospective proposer

Keshav Paan Ki Dukan (Varanasi). April 19. Rajendra Chaurasia is in deep dharmasankat. Every second customer, before asking for a paan inquires, " ka guru kab jaat hauaa, parcha bhare," ( when are you going to propose name of Narendra Modi as a candidate for Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency).The BJP already gathered relevant information about Rajendra, needed in the filing of nomination papers of its Prime Ministerial candidate, though the announcement in this regard is still awaited.

                                                        A day before yesterday's bawal at his paan shop has unraveled the risk involved in jumping into political arena, however symbolic it might be. Then Yesterday Aap leaders again made it a point to visit his shop ignoring the potential dangers. This time it was something sentimental. Aap leader professor Anand Kumar, who was in the group, inquired whether he was really accompanying Modi on the day A. The Professor and Rajendra were class fellows in Banaras Hindu University.In student days they were active workers of Samajvadi Yuvjan Sabha (SYS). Anand Kumar reminded him of those days,    " tum samajvadi dil,dimag ke ho, Modi ka parcha kaise bharoge ( you are a socialist by nature and conviction, how can you be a part in Modi's nomination).

                                                   And then there is  another aspect of his dilemma. Rajendra's father late Gopalji, who actually gave the fame to " Keshav Paan Bhandar" was a supporter of  Communist Party of India (CPM). Actually this had more to do with personal relations than ideological commitment. Gopalji's Paan shop was earlier located at the entrance of Vishwanath gali, the lane which terminates at the Kashi Vishwanath temple. CPM's District office is located just across the main road on the first floor. Once I attended a Press Conference of then junior party leader Prakash Karat in this  office, It was a bizarre experience. In the office room there were old framed pictures of Marx and Lenin with slogans calling for world proletariat revolution. When I looked across the wide window,  the  entrance gate of Kashi Vishwanath temple was just metres away , with barefooted devotees chanting om namah shivay  moving towards the temple.

                                            In Varanasi, the city of contrasts and assimilation,  the CPM candidate Satya Narayan Singh won the 1967 Lok Sabha Elections. In latter days of life he used to sit   near the stairs of the building,watching movement of devotees..Both the Communist parties lost much of their support base in recent decades and the city is now considered a saffron stronghold, a safe seat for BJP.

                                           On my last visit home, during Holi festival in March, I found Rajendra very vocal and aggressive Modi Supporter. He openly chided anti Modi customers.His thousands of pieces of paan actually spread the Modi wave around the city.This time around he is much more cautious. His does not express his political preference openly.. Moreover, Arvind Kejriwal's persona impressed him a lot .He said to me, " bahut sidhe sadhe aadmi Hain". When kejriwal and Manish Sisodia visited his shop, he welcomed them and offered paan, he did not take money, " Aap hamare mehmaan hain". And when Modi supporters' seize detained Aap leaders for more than an hour, he again offered paan to them, without any asking.

                                      As a regular paan sitter, I feel Rajendra will vote and canvass for Modi, besides proposing his name. And  repeating a Modi phrase he would say, Yeh kashi ke samman aur asmita ka sawal hai", ( It is matter of honour and spirit of the holy city)