Seeking re-election in temple town, PM Modi files nomination from Varanasi

Varanasi, Apr 26: After a massive roadshow through the city and Ganga Aarti on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi filed his nomination papers from Varanasi constituency on Friday for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2019. He was accompanied by accompanied by a galaxy of top BJP and NDA leaders in what was a massive show of strength for the country's ruling alliance.

Amid chants of 'Modi, Modi,' it was a homecoming of sorts for the Prime Minister who arrived in his Parliamentary constituency of Varanasi where he will be filing his nomination on Friday for Lok Sabha elections.

Bihar Chief Minister and JD-U chief Nitish Kumar, Union minister and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray and Shiromani Akali Dal patron Parkash Singh Badal were with Modi at the Collectorate as Modi filed his papers, seeking a second term in the Lok Sabha from the temple town. BJP leaders, including party president Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and senior Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Sushma Swaraj, were also present on the occasion.

Before reaching the Varanasi collectorate to file his nomination, Modi went to a temple to offer prayers.

As soon as he arrived in the temple city on Thursday, the entire town seemed to have gathered on the streets for him. His roadshow to Dashashwamedh ghats for Ganga Aarti had crowds waiting for hours.

PM Modi is seeking a second term in office from Varanasi, a parliamentary seat he handsomely won in 2014, defeating Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal by a massive margin of 3.37 lakh votes.

Narendra Modi stormed to power in 2014 with his Bharatiya Janata Party winning 282 of the Lok Sabha's 543 constituencies. The BJP won an absolute majority in 2014, reducing the then-ruling Congress to a miserly 44 seats.