VARANASI, Uttar Pradesh — Polling ended in the battleground of Varanasi as India voted in the final phase of its mammoth general election on Monday. The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party leader Narendra Modi remained a front-runner in the seat, but was being challenged by Arvind Kejriwal of the new anti-corruption Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Voting also took place in 40 other parliamentary seats on Monday in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. According to media reports, huge crowds, including a large number of women, turned up at polling stations, after voting began at 07:00 a.m. local time (01:30 GMT). Most people walked or took cycle rickshaws to the booths as there were traffic restrictions in the city. “Varanasi will finally see some change and development. I am glad to have lived for the day,” a 93-year-old voter said. “I have voted for the about-to-be PM of India, Narendra Modi,” Setupati Tripathi, 35, told an international news agency after casting his ballot. “He is winning for sure and that's one reason of me voting for him. With him winning the Varanasi seat, I am also confident about the development of this millennia-old city as a tourist destination.” A woman voter said that she had cast her ballot “for the person who will bring development and progress.” “The main issues are inflation, corruption and unemployment,” she said. Varanasi saw a frenzy of political campaigning in the last few days leading up to the polling day not seen in the ancient city in decades. Modi was given a spirited fight by Kejriwal whose army of volunteers was engaged in extensive door-to-door campaigning. There were a total of 42 candidates in the fray in the seat, including the Congress party's Ajay Rai, a local political leader. The battle of Varanasi was the most prestigious battle in the elections — top leaders from the BJP, Congress and AAP all campaigned here for their candidates in the past weeks. “This is a very politically conscious city. The epic battle between Modi and Kejriwal pulled the city out of political oblivion,” said a Benares Hindu University professor. Varanasi was turned into a fortress with thousands of police and paramilitaries deployed to ensure peaceful polling. Varanasi, on the banks of the Ganges river, has long been neglected despite its religious significance and suffers from dismal infrastructure. Both Modi and Kejriwal have promised to work for the city's development if elected.
