Lok Sabha Election 2024: PM Modi To Address Rallies In Bihar And Roadshow In Varanasi

Today marks the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, encompassing a significant portion of India's parliamentary seats. Ninety-six seats across nine states and one Union territory, Jammu and Kashmir, are scheduled for voting in this phase.

The states and Union Territory participating in today's elections are Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, and Jammu & Kashmir.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is aiming for a third consecutive term in power at the Centre. In both the 2014 and 2019 general elections, the BJP secured a single-party majority with 282 and 303 seats respectively out of the 543-member Lok Sabha. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also aiming for a third consecutive victory in the top office.

Before heading to Patna for rallies, PM Modi is scheduled to visit Takht Harmandir, a Sikh shrine and the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh, in the old city area at 8:45 AM this morning.

Later in the day, Modi will hold three election rallies in Bihar. These rallies are part of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, with Bihar having five parliamentary seats going to polls in the fifth phase. His first rally will be in Hajipur at 10:30 AM, followed by Muzaffarpur at noon, and Saran at 1:30 PM.

In Hajipur, Chirag Paswan, the chief of Lok Janshakti Party-Rashtriya Lok (LJP-R), is contesting for the first time. His late father, Ram Vilas Paswan, won the seat multiple times. In Saran, sitting BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy is up against Rohini Acharya, the daughter of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad, who is contesting her first election. In Muzaffarpur, Modi will campaign for BJP candidate Raj Bhushan Choudhary Nishad.

After conducting extensive rallies in Patna, PM Modi is set to hold a roadshow in his constituency Varanasi before filing his nomination for a third term on Tuesday. The roadshow, scheduled for 5 PM, will also include a visit to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple for prayers.

The roadshow in Varanasi today will be accompanied by the tunes of 'shehnai', the resonance of conch shells, the beating of drums, and the chanting of mantras, creating a festive ambience amidst the Lok Sabha election fervour.

Starting from the intersection at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) gate, where PM Modi will pay homage to the statue of BHU founder Mahamana Pt Madan Mohan Malviya, the roadshow will conclude at Gate Number 4 of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham.

According to Navratan Rathi, the BJP spokesperson for the Kashi region, the roadshow will witness the participation of over a lakh BJP workers from the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency, along with Kashi residents, athletes, artists, and other prominent figures, in addition to locals.

Various communities, including Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Maheshwari, Marwari, Tamil, and Punjabi, will welcome PM Modi adorned in their traditional attire, as highlighted by Rathi.

This five-kilometer-long roadshow promises to showcase the rich cultural diversity of both Varanasi and Uttar Pradesh, offering a glimpse into the vibrant tapestry of Mini India.

Varanasi is scheduled to vote in the final phase of the elections on June 1 and the results of the Lok Sabha polls will be announced on June 4.