Varanasi: Ukraine war, Operation Ganga dominate public discourse on poll day

Though voting for the last phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections began on a dull note on Monday, politics remained fiery with Varanasi and ‘Operation Ganga’ being at the center of allegations and counter allegations.

The main challenger to the BJP in the state, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav attacked BJP over ‘Operation Ganga’, initiated by the Union govt to evacuate Indian students stranded in Ukraine last week

He alleged that the BJP had named the evacuation operation after river Ganga because Varanasi went to the polls today in the last phase of UP elections.

“They (the BJP-led Central government) failed to evacuate Indians and named the evacuation operation 'Operation Ganga' because (there are) polls in Varanasi too. Had they rescued our people from Ukraine directly, I would've appreciated it,” Akhilesh said on Monday.

Countering Akhilesh Yadav, incumbent UP CM Yogi Adityanath extolled the success of ‘Operation Ganga’ as historic. He met an Indian student who had returned from Ukraine on Sunday in Lucknow and said, “Though safe return of our children was the top priority of the entire country, some people engaged in dirty politics. These people do not want our children to return safely. I appeal to parents to keep patience and be careful about these people”.

BJP claimed that students had told Yogi Adityanath that students from other countries too had praised the Indian government and ‘Operation Ganga’.

While Netizens criticized the BJP for using the Ukraine crisis as an opportunity to woo voters in the last phase, there is a section that believes ‘Operation Ganga’ may serve as the savior for the BJP which is, as per some, facing a rout in the assembly polls.

Talking to NH, a resident of Varanasi contended that Modi’s magic seems to be working in Varanasi again and ‘Operation Ganga’ had struck a chord with the people of the temple town.

“Three days ago, people were talking against the BJP, but they seem to have changed their mind after Modi’s visit,” said the resident of Varanasi, claiming that the BJP will win all three seats falling in the city.

However, there are a few who believe that the BJP may retain urbans seats in Varanasi but all five seats in rural areas may be won by the SP-led alliance.

As per an estimate, about 1200 students from Uttar Pradesh were enrolled in various universities in Ukraine.

BJP leaders have gone the extra mile to take advantage of the situation, as per a UP watcher.

Some of them even met parents of such students a day before polling in an apparent bid to get political mileage, said a Varanasi-based journalist.