PM Modi is seeking a third term from Varanasi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will today file his nomination from Varanasi for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, seeking a third term from the constituency. A day before filing his papers, PM Modi held a 6-km-long roadshow, promising to do a lot more for the overall development of the city if voted to power again.
PM Modi began his day with a visit to Assi Ghat, where he offered prayers to the River Ganga. The itinerary will then continue with a visit to the Kaal Bhairav Temple followed by the filing of nomination papers at 11:30 am.
The Prime Minister will then speak at the Rudraksh Convention Center at 12:10 pm before leaving Varanasi at 1 pm.
"I am overwhelmed and emotional! I did not even realise how 10 years passed under the shade of your affection. I had said that Maa Ganga had called me. Aaj Maa Ganga ne mujhe god le liya hai (today Maa Ganga has adopted me)," he wrote on X.
The Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency witnessed a historic clash in 2014 when Mr Modi, then BJP's prime ministerial candidate, contested against AAP chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Mr Modi's resounding victory, with a margin exceeding 3 lakh votes, solidified Varanasi's position as a BJP stronghold, a legacy he aims to extend in the upcoming elections.
Varanasi, comprising five assembly seats, has been a battleground where the BJP and the Congress have locked horns over the years. Since 1957, while the BJP has enjoyed significant success since 1991, winning the seat seven times, the Congress has also wielded influence, securing victory six times. The Varanasi seat has never been won by the Samajwadi Party or the Bahujan Samaj Party.
PM Modi's resounding victory in 2014, followed by an even more emphatic win in 2019, solidified Varanasi's status as a BJP stronghold.
The demographics of Varanasi read 75 per cent Hindus, 20 per cent Muslims and 5 per cent other religions. Around 10 per cent belong to Scheduled Tribes, while Scheduled Castes constitute 0.7 per cent of the total residents. Its urban population comprises 65 per cent, with the remaining 35 per cent residing in rural areas.
"During the period of the Congress and INDI alliance, this city of spirituality and faith was always neglected, but we are working day and night with the resolution of building a divine and grand Kashi," PM Modi wrote on X.
"I have to do a lot more in the third term of the NDA government for this parliamentary constituency that resides in my heart," he added. "As a servant of the people, it has always been my endeavour to make the lives of the people of Kashi easier. I am confident that a developed Varanasi will make an invaluable contribution to fulfilling the resolution of a developed India along with a developed Uttar Pradesh.
"With the blessings of Baba Vishwanath, I will always remain dedicated to the service of his Kashi. Jai Baba Vishwanath!."
Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh are expected to be present during PM Modi's nomination filing.
Varanasi will go to polls in the seventh and last phase of the elections on June 1 and will see a contest between PM Modi and Congress candidate Ajay Rai who will be facing the Prime Minister for a third time for the seat.