Varanasi, May 14 :
VARANASI (UP), May 14: Prime Minister Narendra Modi filed his nomination here on Tuesday, an event attended by several NDA leaders, including Union ministers and chief ministers, in a show of strength as he seeks a third term from the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency.
Sporting a white kurta-pajama and a blue sadri, Modi reached the district collectorate after a busy morning, which included an aarti on the banks of the Ganga at the Dashashwamedh ghat and prayers at the city’s Kaal Bhairav temple.
Immediately after filing his papers, the prime minister headed for the Rudraksha Convention Centre to address local party leaders and workers. A local spokesperson of the BJP said Modi gave the party’s office bearers the “mantra of victory” and asked them to make people aware of his government’s schemes.
Modi also told them to ensure that every booth records at least 370 more votes than it did in the last general election, in celebration of the abrogation of Article 370.
After filing his nomination, Modi posted on ‘X’, “Filed my nomination papers as a candidate for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat. It is an honour to serve the people of this historic seat. With the blessings of the people, there have been remarkable achievements over the last decade. This pace of work will get even faster in the times to come.”
“I am honoured by the presence of our valued NDA allies in Kashi today. Our alliance represents a commitment to national progress and fulfilling regional aspirations. We will work together for the progress of India in the years to come,” he added.
In a separate post in Hindi, the prime minister said, “Heartfelt gratitude to my family members in Kashi… The love and blessings I have received from all of you in the last 10 years have inspired me to work with full determination. With your support and participation, I will continue to work with new energy for the all-round development of this place and the welfare of the people in my third term as well. ‘Jai Baba Vishwanath’!”
BJP president J P Nadda and Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Hardeep Singh Puri, Anupriya Patel and Ramdas Athawale were among the leaders who flanked Modi as he emerged from the collectorate after filing his papers.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma, NCP leader Praful Patel, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan, Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular founder Jitan Ram Manjhi and Rashtriya Lok Morcha chief Upendra Kushwaha were present at the collectorate.
Uttar Pradesh minister and NISHAD party chief Sanjay Nishad, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief Omprakash Rajbhar, RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary, LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan, PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss, Tamil Maanila Congress chief G K Vasan, BJP leader Devanathan Yadav, BDJS president Thushar Vellappally and Asom Gana Parishad president Atul Bora were also there.
Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar did not attend the event due to health reasons.
Before he filed his nomination, Modi posted in Hindi on ‘X’, “My relationship with Kashi is amazing, inseparable and incomparable… All I can say is that it cannot be expressed in words!”
According to the spokesperson, there were four proposers for Modi’s nomination — Pandit Ganeshwar Shastri, long-time RSS functionary Baijnath Patel, Lalchand Kushwaha and Sanjay Sonkar.
All four, along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, were present at the collector’s office when Modi submitted his papers.
The prime minister held a dazzling roadshow in Varanasi a day back and vowed to do a lot more to serve the holy city in his third term. He spent the night in the city.
Modi posted a clip from the roadshow on ‘X’ and said, “The love and blessings that my family members of Kashi showered on me during the road show has become an unforgettable moment in my life.”
In another post in Hindi, he said, “My day started with paying respects to Maa Ganga in Kashi… I prayed to Maa Ganga for happiness, prosperity and health for Kashi residents as well as my family members across the country. ‘Jai Maa Ganga’.”
Voting in Varanasi will take place in the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha election on June 1. The Congress has fielded its state unit president Ajay Rai from the seat and the BSP has nominated Athar Jamal Lari.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the earlier Congress governments at the Centre pushed the country into the fire of Naxalism, adding that it is the BJP government that has curbed the Naxal violence in the country.
The Prime Minister said that Leftists had a vested interest in keeping the Naxalism alive.
Addressing an election rally in Koderma, the Prime Minister said, “When there is a weak government like Congress, it weakens the country as well. Such weak governments can never do good for the country. Koderma and the people here have seen the attitude of weak governments for decades. Weak Congress governments pushed the country into the fire of Naxalism. Naxalism caused a lot of harm to the country but also crushed the dreams of so many mothers in this country The leftists also made a living by keeping the Naxalism fire alive.”
“It is the BJP government that has curbed Naxal violence in the country. Modi knows how to face challenges rather than avoid them and when the courage is strong, even the biggest challenges start kissing the feet,” he added.
Referring to a video clip of RJD leader Awadhesh Singh Yadav, where he was allegedly heard saying about shooting “PM Modi in the skull”, Prime Minister Modi said that leaders of the opposition party have lost their mental stability.
“JMM, Congress and RJD people have lost their mental stability. In this Koderma, a member of INDI alliance, spoke about shooting me. Those people who are dreaming about digging a grave for Modi must come here and see this crowd, they should see this love of mothers and sisters, they’re my shield,” he said.
Awadhesh Singh Yadav later clarified that the video which went viral had been “distorted”.
After huge cash was recovered recently from the household help of Sanjeev Lal, who is the PS of Jharkhand Minister Alamgir Alam, Prime Minister Modi said that he has never seen that many notes in real life and he will continue digging for more “treasures”.
“JMM, Congress, INDI alliance are the biggest role models of wrong things. Mountain of cash was discovered in the house of the servant of the Minister’s PA. I have never seen that many notes in real life, I saw it on television for the first time. Such people are supported by the ‘royal family’.This is just the beginning, I will dig out more treasures like this,” he said.
PM Modi further said that “INDI alliance is the biggest model of corruption, nepotism and appeasement”.
“I had said from the Red Fort, I would spend my life to free India from corruption, nepotism and appeasement. The INDI-alliance of JMM-Congress-Left is the biggest model of all these evils,” PM Modi said.
