Varanasi is the most powerful state in the Yogi government; learn about the significance of Hansraj's entry into the cabinet
Hansraj Vishwakarma has joined the Yogi Adityanath cabinet in Uttar Pradesh. He took oath as a minister on Sunday. With Hansraj's appointment, Varanasi (Kashi) now has four ministers in the Yogi government. This is a new record for the Yogi government. Previously, during the Yogi government's first term, Lucknow had three ministers in his cabinet. Now, Varanasi has surpassed Lucknow to set a new record.
During the first term of the Yogi government, Brijesh Pathak, Ashutosh Tandon, and Dinesh Sharma from Lucknow were members of the council of ministers. However, after the second extension of the Yogi government's second term, there are four ministers from Varanasi. These include Dayashankar Mishra (Brahmin), Anil Rajbhar (OBC), Ravindra Jaiswal (OBC), and now new minister Hansraj Vishwakarma (OBC). However, even during the first term of the Yogi government, there were three ministers from Varanasi. Along with Anil Rajbhar and Ravindra Jaiswal, Neelkanth Tiwari was also a minister in the Yogi government at that time.
But when Neelkanth Tiwari was dropped during the second term of the Yogi government, Dayashankar Mishra "Dayalu" was appointed minister in his place. It is said that this did not affect the number of ministers. However, after the second extension of the second term, the inclusion of Hansraj Vishwakarma further increased Varanasi's influence in Lucknow.
The growing influence of 'Banaras' in the government
Political analyst Vijay Narayan says that PM Modi is an MP from Varanasi. His victory margin in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was narrow. Furthermore, considering the SP's opposition to the PDA and the Ghazipur incident, Hansraj Vishwakarma has been appointed minister to address these three issues, thus paving the way for the 2027 elections.
Know the reason behind the dominance of Banaras
Vijay Narayan believes that Varanasi's influence in the UP government began to grow after PM Modi became a Member of Parliament from Varanasi in 2014. This is the second time, after Pandit Kamalapati Tripathi, that Varanasi's influence in UP politics has increased. However, after the 2024 Lok Sabha election results, the BJP is on high alert regarding protests in Varanasi and Purvanchal.
Political analyst Vijay Narayan explains that this alertness is why Hansraj Vishwakarma was appointed a minister. Vijay Narayan added that the BJP's top leadership is uneasy with PM Modi's victory in the Lok Sabha elections by just 150,000 votes and the BJP losing 10 out of 13 seats in the Kashi region. A review of the defeat revealed that OBC voters had shifted to the Samajwadi Party (SP).
Hansraj Vishwakarma has a reputation as a grassroots leader, and the BJP believes that appointing him as a minister will send a positive message to OBC voters. The opposition's uproar over the death of a Vishwakarma woman in Karanda, Ghazipur, could also be a factor.
Caste mobilization in Purvanchal is a challenge for BJP
Senior journalist and President of the Kashi Journalists' Association, Arun Mishra, says that caste-based mobilization in Purvanchal will be a challenge for the BJP. While the BJP capitalizes on communal polarization in the west, it finds it difficult to penetrate the maze of caste politics in the east. Keeping this in mind, Hansraj Vishwakarma has been appointed a minister.
Arun Mishra says that this message has also been sent to the old grassroots leaders of Varanasi. But more important than these two reasons for appointing Hansraj as a minister is the fact that the Vishwakarma community constitutes a significant vote bank in Purvanchal. By including Hansraj Vishwakarma from Varanasi in the cabinet, the BJP has made a significant move.
