Prime Minister Narendra Modi began a six-kilometre-long roadshow in Varanasi on Monday evening. He is set to file his nomination papers from this Lok Sabha seat on Tuesday.
PM Modi garlanded a statue of educationist and social reformer Madan Mohan Malviya at the Malviya Chauraha in the Lanka area here before beginning the roadshow.
He was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
According to sources in the BJP, PM Modi will also take a dip in the Ganga.
The prime minister is seeking a third consecutive term from the seat that will go to polls on June 1 in the seventh and last phase of the Lok Sabha election.
A large number of women in saffron attire walked ahead of the vehicle carrying PM Modi. The group represented 'matrashakti'.
The roadshow will be held up to the Kashi Vishwanath Dham. It will pass through Sant Ravidas Gate, Assi, Shivala, Sonarpura, Jangambadi and Godaulia.
The sources in the party said PM Modi would be staying the night at the BLW guesthouse.
He will go to the guesthouse from the Kashi Vishwanath Dham and his convoy is expected to pass through Maidagin Chauraha, Kabirchaura, Lahurabir, Teliabagh Tiraha, Chowkaghat Chauraha, Lakdi Mandi, Cantt Overbridge, Lahartara Chauraha, Manduwadih Chauraha and Kakarmatta Overbridge areas.
BJP office bearers also said that people from different communities, including Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Maheshwari, Marwari, Tamil and Punjabi, will be welcoming PM Modi at 100 points in 11 zones during the roadshow.
The prime minister was welcomed with the blowing of conches and beats of 'dhols' and 'damrus' here.
Prime Minister Modi will also go to seek blessings from Baba Vishwanath, the BJP sources said. Cutouts of famous people of Kashi have been installed along the route of the roadshow.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
