New Delhi, May 14 (IANS ) The grand visuals of Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- from standing on the Assi Ghat on the banks of Ganga in Banaras to praying before the holy river with all associated rituals on Tuesday morning -- were overpowering.
Since time immemorial, these ghats attracted pilgrims and sundry visitors from all across the country and abroad. But many would return with a sense of regret triggered by the unclean ghats lying in a state of despair, the mesh of wires in the narrow bylanes, or the difficult approach way to the Vishwanath temple.
However, the spirituality associated with the place was so overwhelming that people did not complain much.
Over the decades, the state and the district administration found a convenient alibi for their apathy and neglect in five words - "Banaras toh aisa hi hai" (Banaras is like this only).
Sections of the local people too started believing this manufactured theory.
Anyone who visited Banaras in the pre-2014 era when Narendra Modi had first filed his nomination from there as a BJP Prime Ministerial nominee and now, after he served the constituency as its representative for 10 years, would vouch that the right vision and strong will can make possible what was commonly perceived to be impossible.
The city's core values, what they call 'Banarasi mizaz', have remained intact but in terms of infrastructure, cleanliness, and hygiene, things have transformed to an entirely different level.
For many in Banaras, the BJP's 2019 poll slogan "Modi hai toh mumkin hai" started becoming a reality there after 2014 itself.
The magnificent Kashi-Vishwanth Corridor envisioned and built by PM Modi justifies a sports brand catchphrase - 'Impossible is Nothing'.
No wonder, support for PM Modi has only grown in the last 10 years.
Banaras has been almost on its feet in welcoming PM Modi since late Monday afternoon, when the Prime Minister landed there for a roadshow, followed by the puja of Baba Vishwanath at the renovated Kashi-Vishwanath Dham, before visiting the Kal Bhairav temple and performing Ganga Puja on Tuesday which was followed by the filing of nomination seeking a third term in the Parliament.
The massive crowd on the streets didn't just comprise curious onlookers, it consisted of people from all sections of the society who believed in him as a leader, as the Prime Minister, and some even with faith seeing the divinity ingrained in him.
PM Modi has earned all this in the last 10 years of his rule for the work he has done for Banaras and the rest of the country, and for making a difference in people's daily life with his developmental schemes.
It is noteworthy that on April 24, 2014, when Narendra Modi first landed in Banaras to file his nomination as a BJP candidate, he was denied permission by the district administration to hold a public rally, to address people about his thoughts and ideas in a bid to convince them to vote for him.
The BJP's complaint to the EC did not yield any desired results.
Ahead of filing his nomination, Narendra Modi and the BJP then planned a roadshow. A sea of humanity defied the heat, sweat, and dust to extend a warm welcome to him, prompting him to declare, "Na mai aaya hoon, na mujhe kisi ne bheja hai, mujhe to Maa Ganga ne bulaya hai" (I have neither come on my own, nor have I been sent by anyone... I have been called by Maa Ganga).
With these lines, he struck an instant rapport with the people of the region who swear on two names - 'Maa Ganga' and 'Har har Mahadev'.
He even had to wait for about an hour to file his nomination, because some Independent candidates had arrived before his arrival to submit their papers. He waited patiently.
The rest is history.
Before Narendra Modi, eight Prime Ministers, including Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Chaudhray Charan Singh, Chandra Shekhar, Rajiv Gandhi, V.P. Singh, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, have represented Uttar Pradesh, but none has served his or her constituency like PM Modi.
PM Nehru's Phulpur constituency, Indira Gandhi's Raebareli, or Rajiv Gandhi's Amethi have remained in a state of neglect and backwardness.
PM Modi's predecessor Manmohan Singh never entered the Lok Sabha, he chose to be a Rajya Sabha MP from Assam, hardly caring to nurse the state.
Also, PM Modi's nomination filing on Tuesday was an event not just for the BJP, but for the entire NDA that he represents. All the prominent leaders of the BJP and its alliance partners were present.
In comparison, Rahul Gandhi’s nomination filing from Raebareli was like a family event where he was flanked by his mother Sonia Gandhi, sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, brother-in-law Robert Vadra, and octogenarian party President Mallikarjun Kharge.