India, May 1 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi has represented Varanasi for the past five years. Has the constituency changed for the better? Has it become cleaner? Has it transformed into another Kyoto as promised by him? Are the weavers better off? Is the air less polluted? Is the Ganga cleaner? Is the infrastructure better? The jury will be out on May 23, when results to the general elections will be declared. Modi filed his nomination on April 26 from Varanasi, seeking a second term. He has stuck to the seat of our civilisational consciousness yet again and the frenzy of supporters was on full play during the mega road show on April 25.

A visit to Varanasi will reveal that Modi has done a lot but it is "work-in-progress" still, as Prof...