Lok Sabha Elections Phase 7 today: Will the Modi charm remain with Varanasi’s Muslim weaver community?

Lok Sabha Elections Phase 7: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in the fray today in the last phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 from the Varanasi seat in Uttar Pradesh. 

The Prime Minister has been registering huge victories from this Lok Sabha seat. However, with the Muslim hate speech allegations that have clouded Modi's election speeches in 2024, will Varanasi's weaver population still favour the Prime Minister for a third straight term?

PM Modi's spectacular road shows painted a carnivalesque picture in Varanasi ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. Showering marigolds while the PM made his way holding a glow stick in the shape of a lotus in his bullet-proof car through the narrow alleyways in Varanasi. 

Varanasi, a city of immense religious importance for Hindus, is home to the revered Kashi Viswanath Temple and the Shahi Idgah Mosque. These two religious sites have been embroiled in a legal battle over their existence, adding a layer of complexity to the city's religious landscape. 

Despite court battles over holy shrines and PM Modi's reputation as a polarising prime minister, Varanasi has managed to maintain harmony among the city's diverse population in Uttar Pradesh. Therefore, will PM Modi, who was accused of hate speech against the Muslim community during the 2024 Lok Sabha election rally, be able to win the Varanasi constituency with the same margin he registered in 2014 and 2019?

According to experts, while there is hardly any doubt that PM Modi will register yet another victory from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, there is also news of growing contention among voters against the prime minister and BJP leader. 

PM Modi and Varanasi

In the 2019 parliamentary elections, Modi secured victory with a margin of approximately 600,000 votes. This margin isn't merely a numerical figure; it signifies the BJP's aspirations. They are counting on Modi's campaigning in Varanasi and his influence in the region to bolster their chances of sweeping 13 adjacent parliamentary constituencies, where they face stiff competition from the opposition INDIA bloc.

According to Al Jazeera, Varanasi received 5.5 million visitors in 2014, when Modi first contested and won from Varanasi and became prime minister. In 2023, that number stood at 54 million – an almost tenfold increase. Modi 2018 launched a river port in Varanasi on the Ganges. PM Modi's Hindu overtures delivered on the lanes of religion as commerce in Varanasi. 

However, the growing contention against PM Modi is within the same Hindu community's youth – who says they have been bound to downgrade in terms of employment, despite higher educational degrees, as the city flourished as a pilgrimage town but failed to generate ideal employment opportunities under Narendra Modi. Many parts of the city remain shrouded in poverty and darkness.

Muslim Weaver community in Varanasi

Varanasi is home to one of the most sought-after sarees- the Banarasi. 

Banarasi brocade, which comes from Varanasi, is popular among brides of both Muslim and Hindu religions. 

According to Al Jazeera, the majority of the weaver community in Varanasi is Muslim, who also form 20% of the city's voter population. 

A national award-winning weaver of Banarasi sarees told Al Jazeera that Modi's anti-Muslim comments – he referred to the community as "infiltrators" and "those who have more children" – won't be forgotten quickly by Varanasi's Muslims. However, experts doubt if this will affect the total vote count that will be polled for the BJP on June 4.