"Chemistry Beat Arithmetic This Time," Says PM In Varanasi On Massive Win

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said "chemistry beat arithmetic" in the Lok Sabha election, leading to the BJP's landslide win that crushed all the opposition parties. He visited his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi in eastern Uttar Pradesh where he thanked voters and offered prayers at an iconic temple.

"Political analysts will have to accept that beyond poll arithmetic, there is chemistry," the Prime Minister told the gathering in a thanksgiving visit to his parliamentary constituency. This is PM Modi's first visit to Varanasi after winning from there for the second time.

He had visited the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple in the temple town on the banks of River Ganga earlier in the day. He travelled to the temple by road. BJP chief Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are with PM Modi in Varanasi.

"We in the BJP have faced two challenges: Political violence. Political untouchability. Why are our workers killed or attacked in Kashmir, Kerala or Bengal. It is shameful and anti-democratic... If there is one party that is truly democratic, it is the BJP,' PM Modi said.

PM Modi offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi.

The Varanasi visit comes three days before he takes oath after being re-elected as Prime Minister for a second term.

An LED screen was installed at the entrance of temple which live-streamed visuals from inside when he offered prayers. The chief priest performed a ritual with PM Modi.

The LED screen will live-stream visuals from inside the temple when PM Modi offers prayers

PM Modi won from Varanasi by a huge margin of 4.79 lakh votes. He not only retained his seat, but also saw his victory margin increase by nearly a lakh votes as compared to 2014.

In a video message ahead of the May 19 polling, PM Modi had called himself a "Kashivasi (a resident of Varanasi)" and termed the city his guiding spirit.

PM Modi on Sunday met his 98-year-old mother in Ahmedabad. While there, he also held a rally and addressed the people of his home state, which he ruled as a Chief Minister for 13 years. He repeated that the election had a pro-incumbency wave. "After the sixth phase of polling, I had said that it's 300 plus for us. When I said it, people mocked me. But the results are for everyone to see," he said.

The BJP handed out a crushing defeat to the Congress and other opposition parties by bagging 303 out of 542 Lok Sabha seats that went to polls.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)