Sept. 18: Narendra Modi's visit to his Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi today was marked by a discovery of Bihar and a rediscovery of the poor.

Varanasi is eastern Uttar Pradesh's gateway to Bihar, where elections are due in October and November. It is home to a large migrant population from the neighbouring state that pulls rickshaws and works as construction hands.

Modi's trip began with a gesture to the city's rickshaw pullers: he gave away 101 e-rickshaws and 501 cycle rickshaws to some who didn't own the vehicles they plied and had to pay a share of their earnings to the owners.

"We are hopeful that the right message will travel across the border to Bihar," a BJP spokesperson said.

The e-rickshaws and cycle rickshaws Modi gave away have been leased to the pullers, who will no longer have to pay the owners of their previous rickshaws. Instead, they will deposit the sum in bank accounts under the Jan Dhan Yojana and, two years later, become owners of the vehicles.

"This means savings for the rickshaw pullers. This money will not go to anyone; it will be repatriated to the rickshaw pullers themselves," he said. "I am confident this scheme will lift poor families out of their present condition."

If the outreach to the poor was part of Modi's strategy to shed the "suit-boot" tag the Congress had hung on him, there was a message in it to the city's Biharis in general.

Varanasi's educational institutions such as Banaras Hindu University, Kashi Vidyapeeth and Sampurnanand University draw plenty of students from Bihar, and the eastern neighbour's patients flock to the city's hospitals.

At a gathering organised by Varanasi's Rickshaw Sangh this morning, Modi referred to Indira Gandhi's slogan of Garibi hatao (Abolish poverty) before questioning the Congress's claims on poverty elimination without naming the party.

"For nearly 40, 50 years we have heard the ' Garibi hatao' slogan. In every election, we have heard about the welfare of the poor. It is a tradition in our country to chant about the poor, morning and evening, regardless of what we ultimately do in politics," he said.

"We have to snap out of this tradition and when I say snap out, can we not embark on a campaign to liberate the poor from their poverty? I will not blame a government or a political party but we have to focus on the fundamentals of poverty elimination."

He went on: "What are the circumstances in which the hardworking poor can improve their conditions? Ask the poorest person if he would like future generations to live in the same way, and he will say, 'No'."

Modi, who had interacted with some of the rickshaw pullers before his speech, said that while giving away the e-rickshaws, he had asked a beneficiary whether he could drive one.

"He said, ' Sahab, my confidence level is much higher now'. I asked, 'Why?' He said, 'This will enhance my skill development'. He actually used the phrase 'skill development'," the Prime Minister said.

Modi also distributed pushcarts among vendors. "I met a family today. A sister (female member) said that so far she had been selling vegetables from an allotted place on the road. I asked what difference the push cart would make," Modi said.

"She said, 'Now I will travel to different parts of the city at fixed timings so that the residents know when exactly I will arrive in their locality'. This is an example of perfect management in business."

Modi also inaugurated a special trauma care centre during what was his third visit to his constituency since becoming Prime Minister.