Modi promises power, infra, employment for Varanasi

This appeal comes in form of writing on the official blog of Modi.

"The decisive moment for voting for 16th Lok Sabha has come. In the last 10 years the UPA government's mis-rule has not only halted country's progress but has pushed it backwards by a decade. Time has come for us to change the situation. It is said that Varanasi reflects country's political scene, so lets begin the change from here," Modi wrote on his blog.

"Like holy Ganga river changes its direction after entering Varanasi, let us usher the big change in the country from here and change the direction of the nation towards good governance," the BJP's PM nominee added.

Taking a dig at the non-BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, Modi said that Varanasi faces severe problems of roads, encroachments, electricity, water and red tapism in government departments. He also expressed concern over high unemployment rate among local youth despite the city attracting large number of tourist.

"The problems faced by Varansi is mainly because of the state and central government. Also, responsible is the mafia of contractors which have made in-roads into every government department. I promise to eliminate every such mafia existing between Delhi and Varanasi," Modi stated on his blog.

Talking about need for creating a new brand image for Varansi Modi said, "There was a time when Banasri pan and sarees were renowned across the globe, but now they are struggling to maintain its existence. We have not been able to create a new brand for Banaras, while the old brand has lost its shine."

"There is a need to rejuvenate the lost heritage of Varanasi, revive the local cottage industry and handicraft business, and generate employment opportunities in Varanasi itself. By doing this we will not only be able to give employment locally, but bring back the lost pride of Varanasi," he added.

The PM nominee also wants Varanasi to become the intellectual capital of the country just like Delhi and Mumbai being the political and financial hubs of India. He also wants Kashi to be center of all cultural and intellectual activities in the country.

He also spoke about preserving the Bhojpuri and Purvanchal culture through further development of various universities in Varanasi.