Who Are The BJP Big Guns Supporting PM Modi's Nomination In Varanasi?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to file his nomination from Varanasi , seeking a third term from the constituency. Ahead of filing his papers, PM Modi held a 6-km-long roadshow, pledging to further develop the city if re-elected.

Expressing his gratitude, PM Modi said, "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)."

The 2014 elections saw a historic clash in Varanasi when Modi, then BJP's prime ministerial candidate, contested against AAP chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. PM Modi's 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 for the BJP and the Congress. While the BJP has won the seat seven times since 1991, the Congress has also secured victory six times since 1957. The Samajwadi Party or the Bahujan Samaj Party has never won the Varanasi seat.

Meet the BJP Bigwigs Supporting PM Modi's Nomination in Varanasi

Several Union ministers, including Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, chief ministers of BJP and NDA-ruled states ad leaders of the party are likely to accompany Modi to the collectorate for his nomination filing.

The BJP's NDA partners Lok Dal president Jayant Chaudhary, LJP chief Chirag Paswan, Apna Dal (S) president Anupriya Patel and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party president Omprakash Rajbhar are also expected to be present.

Besides Adityanath, chief ministers Nitish Kumar (Bihar), Pushkar Singh Dhami (Uttarakhand), Mohan Yadav (Madhya Pradesh), Vishnu Deo Sai (Chhattisgarh), Eknath Shinde (Maharashtra), Bhajan Lal Sharma (Rajasthan), Himanta Biswa Sharma (Assam), Nayab Singh Saini (Haryana), Pramod Sawant (Goa), Prem Singh Tamang (Sikkim) and Manik Saha (Tripura) are also likely to attend the prime minister's nomination filing.

Following the nomination process, Modi will hold a meeting with BJP workers at the Rudraksha Convention Centre.

Voting in Varanasi will take place in the seventh phase on June 1.