Modi’s road show today to underline Bareilly’s importance for BJP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a road show in Bareilly on Friday as the BJP looks to tighten its grip on the Lok Sabha seat and dispel any perception of discontent after denial of the party ticket to eight-time sitting MP Santosh Gangwar.

The road show follows the rally Modi addressed in Bareilly district’s Aonla Lok Sabha constituency on Thursday. Follow full coverage of the Lok Sabha elections here.

At a roadside eatery at the busy Civil Lines crossing, the only topic of discussion on Thursday evening was PM Modi’s road show.

“Modi’s road show will send a message to not only BJP cadres but also to the people of Bareilly as to how important this Lok Sabha seat is for the party,” said Sunny Yadav, who came to the eatery with his relatives to enjoy snacks.

“With PM Modi’s road show, the BJP has given a clear message to the local party unit that the senior leadership is keeping a close watch on developments here (Bareilly) and wants Bareilly to remain the party’s stronghold,” said a local party leader not willing to be named.

Also Read | Congress seeking votes to change Constitution for religious quota: Modi in Uttar Pradesh

The BJP replaced Santosh Gangwar, who won the Bareilly seat for the party eight times, including six times in a row, with former minister Chhatrapal Gangwar, an active member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Santosh Gangwar’s winning streak since 1989 was halted only once in the 2009 Lok Sabha election when Congress candidate Praveen Singh Aron had defeated him by 9,338 votes.

Taking advantage of the discontent in the BJP, INDIA bloc candidate Pravin Singh Aron is openly telling voters: “Santosh Gangwar is with me.”

A senior elected representative of the BJP in Bareilly, who was vying for the ticket, had added to the party’s anxiety.

However, now both Santosh Gangwar and this BJP leader are accompanying Chhatrapal to all public meetings.

Also Read | Narendra Modi repeats ‘first right’ claim; Kharge says ‘habit to seize on…’

Like Bareilly, Budaun, about 50 kilometres away, is in focus as the BJP has replaced sitting MP Sanghmitra Maurya with Durvijay Singh Shakya there.

The BJP has been able to win the Budaun Lok Sabha seat only twice Chinmayanand in 1991 during the Ram temple movement and Sanghmitra in 2019 riding the Modi wave.

Sanghmitra Maurya defeated two-time Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav, who is former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav’s cousin, by by a narrow margin of 18,454 votes.

Congress candidate Saleem Iqbal Shervani stood third with 51,947 votes.

This time, the BJP’s Durvijay Singh Shakya will challenge SP heavyweight Shivpal Yadav’s son Aditya Yadav.

Aditya is the Samajwadi Party candidate as part of the party’s seat-sharing pact with its INDIA bloc partner the Congress.

Both Bareilly and Budaun will vote in the third phase of the Lok Sabha election on May 7.