PM Modi files nomination from Varanasi seat: Here’s more to know

Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi submitted his candidature for the Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha constituency in Varanasi.

Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath was with him.

In the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, which he first took in 2014, PM Modi is aiming for a hat-trick.

PM Modi also performed aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat and gave prayers before filing the paperwork. Following a trip to Namo Ghat, PM Modi arrived at the Kaal Bhairav temple to offer prayers.

Prior to submitting his nomination, Prime Minister Modi staged a lavish roadshow across a five-kilometer stretch of Varanasi on Monday night.

Ajay Rai, the leader of the Uttar Pradesh Congress, is PM Modi’s primary rival in Varanasi; this is Rai’s third election to challenge Modi in the Lok Sabha.

Modi is set to face off against Uttar Pradesh Congress Chief Ajai Rai and Bahujan Samajwadi Party’s (BSP) Athar Ali Lari in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections in Varanasi. His victory margin in the 2019 poll surged to nearly 4.8 lakh votes, an increase from the 3.72 lakh margin in 2014.

Comedian Shyam Rangeela, known for his videos of mimicking Prime Minister Modi, has also announced his intention to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections against Modi in Varanasi. However, he has yet to file his nomination for the seat.

Varanasi has historically been a stronghold for the BJP, having won the seat eight times since 1991, with only RK Mishra of the Congress securing a victory in 2004. The constituency is scheduled to vote in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha 2024 election on June 1.

Modi’s nomination for the seat was supported by a diverse group of proposers, including Pandit Ganeshwar Shastri from the Brahmin community, Baijnath Patel, an old RSS volunteer from the OBC community, Lalchand Kushwaha, another member of the OBC community, and Sanjay Sonkar, who belongs to the Dalit community.

Several leaders from the BJP and its allies attended Modi’s nomination filing, including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. Additionally, RLD Chief Jayant Chaudhary, LJP leader Chirag Paswan, Apna Dal (S) President Anupriya Patel, and SBSP President Om Prakash Rajbhar were also present.

Modi chose to file his nomination papers between 11:40 am and 12 noon, a timing considered auspicious due to the coincidence between Pushya Nakshatra and Ganga Saptami on May 14.

“My relationship with my Kashi is amazing, inseparable, and incomparable. All I can say is it cannot be expressed in words!” Modi said in a post on X before visiting the Kaal Bhairav Temple.