Varanasi: On the last day of campaigning in the world's largest election, Rahul Gandhi drove in an open-top car through Varanasi, from where Narendra Modi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, is running for Parliament.
Just days ago, Mr Modi, 63, held a massive rally in Mr Gandhi's constituency of Amethi, so the young Congress leader's visit to Varanasi is being seen as payback. (Narendra Modi Brings Battle to Gandhi Doorstep)
Congress supporters cheered Mr Gandhi's convoy, throwing rose petals at him. Like Mr Modi had done weeks ago, the 43-year-old stopped to garland a statue of freedom fighter Madan Mohan Malviya who founded the Banaras Hindu University. (See Pics)
Mr Gandhi's star turn in Varanasi is intended to telegraph that the Congress is not an also-ran in a contest featuring two of India's most-talked-about politicians - up against Mr Modi is Arvind Kejriwal, the chief of the Aam Aadmi Party, whose strong performance in December kept the BJP from forming the Delhi state government. The Congress candidate is Ajay Rai.
(Fight between 'dhartiputra' and outsider, says Ajay Rai)
Nearly 15% of Varanasi's population is Muslim. The minority vote is expected to be split between the Congress and Mr Kejriwal.
The bar for road-shows in Varanasi has been set high by Mr Modi. He drew massive audiences when he filed his nomination papers last month and drove through Varanasi again on Thursday after the Election Commission controversially disallowed his rally in the heart of the city. (Modi in Varanasi: 4 Kilometres in 3 Hours And a Show of Strength)
Mr Kejriwal is holding his own road-show today in Varanasi and later, Akhilesh Yadav, the young chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, will campaign here for his Samajwadi Party.
After 6 pm today, campaigning is banned for the final 41 seats that will vote on Monday, Varanasi among them. So today's programmes are assembled to appeal to an audience far beyond the borders of India's spiritual capital.
Opinion polls show the BJP will rout the Congress to get the maximum seats in the national election.
Just days ago, Mr Modi, 63, held a massive rally in Mr Gandhi's constituency of Amethi, so the young Congress leader's visit to Varanasi is being seen as payback. (Narendra Modi Brings Battle to Gandhi Doorstep)
(Fight between 'dhartiputra' and outsider, says Ajay Rai)
Advertisement
The bar for road-shows in Varanasi has been set high by Mr Modi. He drew massive audiences when he filed his nomination papers last month and drove through Varanasi again on Thursday after the Election Commission controversially disallowed his rally in the heart of the city. (Modi in Varanasi: 4 Kilometres in 3 Hours And a Show of Strength)
Advertisement
After 6 pm today, campaigning is banned for the final 41 seats that will vote on Monday, Varanasi among them. So today's programmes are assembled to appeal to an audience far beyond the borders of India's spiritual capital.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
PM Modi Hails Defence Giant Lockheed Martin's Make In India, Make For World Drive "Rahul Gandhi Too...": BJP MP's Jibe After Assassination Attempt On Trump BJP Accuses Congress Of Inciting Violence Against PM Modi With 'Maut' And 'Hinsa' Remarks Bangladesh Imposes Curfew, Deploys Military As 105 Die In Protests "Jindal Group Executive Showed Porn, Groped Me On Flight": Woman To NDTV Over 300 Indian Students Return Home As 105 Bangladeshis Killed In Protests Joe Biden Is The Best Person To Take On Trump, Says His Campaign Wife Among Two Jailed For Life For Man's Murder In Gurugram: Cops 1,100 Flights Cancelled In US As Microsoft Outage Disrupts Operations Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.