LUCKNOW: As expected, Varanasi is headed for a multi-cornered contest in what will split the “secular” vote to the advantage of BJP’s PM candidate Narendra Modi.

While AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal has made plain his intent to take on Modi in Varanasi, Samajwadi Party has already named Kailash Chaurasia, MLA from Mirzapur and a minister of state in the Akhilesh Yadav government, for the prestigious seat.

BSP is also set to enter the fray, with sources disclosing that the party is considering fielding Vijay Jayaswal, a prominent trader. Congress too will contest the seat and, in what could make the Varanasi ring really crowded, Mukhtar Ansari has vowed to be there as a nominee of Qaumi Ekta Dal.

With a formidable reputation as a “dabang”, Ansari enjoys considerable goodwill among Muslims in the region. He had contested the seat as a BSP nominee the last time, losing narrowly to BJP’s Murli Manohar Joshi.

The five-cornered contest was only to be expected, considering that not taking the field against Modi could dent the “secular” credentials of non-BJP parties. With each of them positioning itself as the sole bulwark against BIP, they can stay away from the Varanasi fight only at the cost of bolstering the “secular” stock of rival claimants for Muslim support.

Political circles feel that Kejriwal has decided to contest from Varanasi in order to style himself as Modi’s principal challenger.

The five-cornered contest should work well for the BJP by ensuring a fragmentation of “secular” votes, even though the presence of two local Vaishyas – Chaurasia and Jayaswal -- could hinder BJP’s plan to secure en masse support of the community.

Modi’s choice of Varanasi as his second Lok Sabha seat was shaped by the consideration that his contesting from UP, which with 80 Lok Sabha seats will be critical for his prime ministerial aspirations, will strengthen prospects of party’s candidates in the state, particularly in its eastern region which accounts for 32 seats.

Varanasi also occupies a special place in the Hindutva scheme of things by being the site of Vishwanath, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas which are revered by Hindus. One of these Lingas is located at Somnath in Gujarat -- something which helps BJP attempt the emotive “Somnath to Vishwanath” connect.

Meanwhile, SP Mulayam Singh Yadav on Tuesday declared that he would contest Lok Sabha elections also from Azamgarh in eastern UP besides his usual parliamentary seat of Mainpuri.

Announcing this, SP leader and party MP Ram Gopal Yadav said the decision was taken in view of the growing demand of party workers and senior leaders.

On March 12, TOI had reported that Mulayam was likely to fight from Azamgarh once Modi’s name was declared from Varanasi.

SP is betting on “tactical voting” by Muslims, which the party says may sweep the 32 Lok Sabha seats that comprise Poorvanchal. In tactical voting — a phenomenon identified with Muslim electorate — the minority community usually votes en masse in favor of any candidate who is in a position to defeat the BJP nominee in the fray.