Streaks of Red surface in Varanasi

Left parties want to draw people towards politics that's issues-based than community-based

While haggling with a rickshaw-puller near the Kedar Ghat for a fare to the BJP office, they come in to sight. It was a group of not more than three dozen people, many of them greying, a few even elderly men, carrying red flags and marching briskly along the Godawlia-Lanka Road, the first motorable road running parallel to the ghats.

They were led by two men on a motorcycle, the elder of them, a Muslim, was on the pillion carrying the hammer-sickle-and-star flag of the Communist Party of the India (Marxist), or the CPI(M).

Those walking were holding flex banners and posters of Ajoy Mukherjee, a trade union leader contesting the cantonment Assembly constituency. Mukherjee, representing the Communist Party of India (CPI), is the lone Bengali candidate in the fray among the three constituencies of the city, with BJP's seven-time MLA Shyamadeo Roy "Dada" Chowdry not getting a ticket this time from the neighbouring Varanasi (South).

As the procession passes through Bengali Tola, where the community was once based in large numbers, one gets a feeling that could be a plus point in a constituency with considerable Bengali population. "There should be 60,000-70,000 people. But, not all of them are here. Some have moved out. Families have become smaller," said S K Majumdar, a retired State Bank employee and trade unionist, who is part of the procession.

But, that is precisely the kind of post-Mandal caste, community-based politics, the Left parties are avowedly fighting to draw the people out of and make the elections more issues-based. They put forth note ban, farmer issues and jobs as key planks.

Bespectacled Mukherjee, dressed in a light blue jacket and a navy blue kurta is walking in the front with the Varanasi South candidate Shivnath Yadav of the CPI(M) and state secretaries of their respective parties Girish and Hiralal Yadav. Slogan shouting local functionaries come next, followed by a few women workers. Some slow cyclers and motorists form the rear end of the procession.

At Madanpura, where several Muslim businesses like Razia Sarees, Zubair Sarees and the Shalimar parlour are situated, the red army gets some friendly waves. The candidates try to establish eye contact with as many as they can as they keep walking.

At Gadowlia Chowk, near the Kashi Viswanath temple, a smooth exchange of batons takes place. Banners with Mukherjee's face and the symbol of sickle and corn are replaced with Yadav's and the CPI(M) symbol. This is where Cantonment ends and Varanasi South begins.

The slogans continue. "Kisano ka kaam kaun karega, kaun karega? Hum karenge, hum Karenge".

The labourers, small traders and the working class are all covered as the rally heads to Maidagin crossing.

Girish, the state secretary of CPI, said, "We want to bring the politics out of castes and fight on issues." The Left alliance, which is touted by them as 'historic' since this is the first time the two parties have come together in UP since the division happened in the '60s, has fielded candidates in about 130 constituencies.

"We are making it a four-cornered contest in many of the constituencies and have a good chance in a dozen constituencies in these areas, which are going to polls in the last phase," Girish added. He recalls pre-delimitation days when some of the party candidates had won several consecutive terms. Girish sees a hung Assembly, where the BJP would be reduced to the third place.

Though the reds are stitching together a fight, it seems an uphill task here. Varanasi has been a saffron bastion and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's candidature in 2014 has only reinforced it. "It was their safest seat. They had to do a lot of convincing (of Murli Manohar Joshi) to vacate the seat for him," said Majumdar. He said lot of money has been put on Ganga cleaning. "But, effects are yet to be seen."

Winding through the congested, trader dominated areas, where many two-wheelers, e-rickshaws and amused school children are subsumed, the procession reaches Maidagin crossing, where the leaders would make short speeches.

In true frugal Left style, there is no big stage, loudspeakers, or a waiting crowd. The leaders see a short compound wall, next to a BSNL stall selling free SIMs. They hop on to it. And, the stage is set.