PIX: Party men rev it up in the final leg of Varanasi campaign

Image: An Aam Aadmi Party volunteer shares his views with volunteers from Punjab outside AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal's home in Varanasi.
Photographs: Savera R Someshwar/Rediff.com Savera R Someshwar/Rediff.com in Varanasi

Narendra Modi's arrival in Varanasi has proved to be a shot in the arm for his party, as it upped the decibel level of the Bharatiya Janata Party's campaign.

The other party going all out to campaign is the Aam Aadmi Party with celebrities like Gul Panag, Vishal Dadlani and Javed Jafri jumping into the fray.

It has been a very quiet election for the remaining 76 candidates in the constituency, including the Congress candidate Ajai Rai, Samajwadi Party candidate Kailash Chaurasia and Bahujan Samaj Party candidate Vijay Prakash Jaiswal.

While Rai and Chaurasia can at least look forward to Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav campaigning for them on May 10, the last day that prachar will be allowed in Varanasi, which goes to the polls on May 12, Jaiswal has been left to his own devices. Behen Mayawati won't be making an appearance in Varanasi.

The lopsided nature of the contest is evident in the display of hoardings and other campaign strategies. BJP hoardings are evident all over the city -- you will spot a few SP and Congress hoardings as well.

At the street level, you'll find many Aam Aadmi Party and BJP supporters flaunting their topis in white and saffron, as well as volunteers stopping to talk to people, handing over leaflets and stickers, and even bursting into songs and sloganeering.

Glimpses from one of India's holiest cities which will vote for its representative on May 12.