PM arrives in Varanasi tonight; to visit Ravidas temple, BHU

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to arrive in his Lok Sabha constituency here tonight for taking part in birth anniversary celebrations of 15th century Dalit poet Shri Ravidas besides attending the convocation ceremony at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) tomorrow.
As per the revised protocol, the Prime Minister will reach Varanasi airport from Kolkata.
In the morning, the Prime Minister is scheduled to pay a visit to the Ravidas Mandir - a temple dedicated to the mystic who holds a special place in the hearts of Dalits - where he may partake 'langar' (food prepared in the community kitchen).

Modi is also expected to meet NRIs belonging to the 'Ravidasiya' sect, comprising mostly Sikhs from Punjab, who are devotees of the Varanasi-born poet-mystic.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is also expected to visit the shrine later in the day in an apparent bid to woo the Sikhs belonging to this sect, with an eye on the upcoming Punjab elections.
The sect has played an important role in construction of the temple, a few kilometres from here, and every year the celebration of the birth anniversary of Shri Ravidas in this eastern UP town, better known for the myriad Hindu temples dotting its landscape, is marked by a large turnout of devotees from Punjab.

After spending some time at the temple, Modi will return to BHU to attend the convocation ceremony.

Earlier, varsity authorities had expressed their desire to confer an honorary doctorate on the Prime Minister. However, the offer was declined earlier this week by Modi, who cited his "policy of not accepting such degrees".
The PM's message to the booth-level workers of the BJP,
drawn from all five assembly segments falling under the Lok Sabha constituency, will set the tone for the party foot soldiers faced with a daunting task of holding their own in a state where politics has been dominated by two rival regional players -- the ruling Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.

From being a force to reckon with in the state in the 1990s, thanks to the momentum generated by the Ramjanmabhoomi agitation, the BJP underwent a steep decline in the first decade of the century.
However, expectations have been high since the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, when the party stunned all by putting up its best-ever performance, winning 71 out of the 78 seats it had contested in the state.
The spectacular comeback owed much to Modi's decision to step out of Gujarat and contest from this eastern UP seat.
The party's performance in the assembly polls in the state -- which is the most populous and hence sends maximum number of MPs to the Lok Sabha -- will have a bearing on its future prospects on the national level.

This will be Modi's ninth tour of Varanasi since he became the Prime Minister in May, 2014.
Significantly, tomorrow's visit will also be his fifth since January this year.
The increased frequency of his trips here is seen as one of the many efforts being made by the BJP to improve its tally in the 403-strong UP assembly where it has less than 50 MLAs.