3 weeks ago
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Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai, who is facing Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi Lok Sabha seat on April 29 pushed the ‘outsider’ or ‘migrant’ narrative adding that only if the ‘migrant’ is shown the exit door the Ganga-Jamuni culture of Kashi could be saved.
Mr. Rai who fought two previous Lok Sabha polls against the PM, claimed in public meetings on April 29 that this time the people of Kashi have made up their minds to remove the ‘migrant’.
Mr. Rai participating in various meetings and public gatherings in Varanasi including a Mahanagar unit meeting of the Samajwadi Party (SP) claimed only a ‘local’ can understand the need and pain of Kashi. “In the meetings, every citizen of Kashi unanimously agreed that if the Ganga-Jamuni culture of Kashi has to be saved, then the ‘migrant’ will have to be shown the way out. This time the people of Kashi have made up their mind to remove the ‘migrant’,” he said, without naming Mr. Modi.
The U.P. Congress chief, who had contested the 2014 and 2019 polls against Mr. Modi, came third in Varanasi polling 75,614 and 1,52,548 votes, in 2014 and 2019 respectively. In March 2023, the Congress leader made headlines when he symbolically dedicated his house to the party’s former president Rahul Gandhi. Mr. Gandhi was asked to vacate his official accommodation in New Delhi after facing disqualification as Lok Sabha member from Wayanad following his conviction by a Surat Court.
Mr. Rai, a five time former MLA spent early part of his political career in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), getting elected as MLA, thrice on the saffron party symbol from Kolasla Assembly segment in 1996, 2002 and 2007. He joined the SP in 2009 and fought the Lok Sabha polls from Varanasi on its symbol and switched over to the Congress before the 2012 Assembly polls.
