DELHI: With much fanfare, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday filed his official nomination from Varanasi, seeking a third straight win from the constituency. The Prime Minister was accompanied on his nomination by the likes of Union home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh, BJP president JP Nadda along with a big band of NDA leaders including SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar and dozen CMs of BJP and NDA states.
Leaders from NDA's top brass like LJP chief Chirag Paswan, Chandrababu Naidu, Jitan Ram Majhi, Pashupati Paswan were among other partners present at the PM's nomination in the collectorate.
The Prime Minster filed his nomination in the presence of four proposers. His two proposers including Acharya Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid, Baijnath Patel and CM Yogi Adityanath stayed with him when he filed papers. First proposer was Astrology scholar Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid, who decided Muhurt of Ram Janambhumi foundation laying and consecration of Ram Lalla, is proposer from City South assembly constituency. And the second proposer was Baijnath Patel from Sevapuri.
The PM sought blessings at Kashi, took a holy dip in Ganga, offered rituals and Aarti at Dashaswamedh Ghat on the auspicious occasion of Ganga Saptami and boarded MV Swami Vivekanand Ro-Ro vessel to reach Namo Ghat and to Kaal Bhairav temple ahead of filing his nomination, which according to the Hindu mythology is believed to be essential to pay obeisance at the temple before proceeding for any work.
"My relationship with my Kashi is amazing, inseparable and incomparable… all I can say is that it cannot be expressed in words", the PM wrote on X, ahead of filing nomination.
On Monday, the Prime Minister kicked off his campaign in Varanasi by holding a massive 5-km roadshow in the same route on which he had held a grand show ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha poll, where he was accompanied by UP CM Yogi Adityanath and UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary atop his ‘chariot.’
Amid chants of 'Har Har Modi, Ghar Ghar Modi' and 'Jai Shree Ram,' Modi, sporting a saffron scarf also garlanded the statue of Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya.
After his roadshow, the PM posted on X, “Salutations to the godly people of Lord Vishwanath’s city. The affection and blessings that I have received during the road show was unimaginable and incomparable. I am overwhelmed and emotional!”
“I can’t realize how 10 years have passed. On coming here in 2014, I had said that Mother Ganga had called me. Today I feel that Maa Ganga has adopted me,” he wrote.
The PM said, “It was my endeavour to make the life of the people of Kashi easier. I am confident that along with developed Uttar Pradesh, developed Varanasi will make its invaluable contribution in fulfilling the resolve of developed India.”
With the blessings of lord Vishwanath, I will always remain dedicated to serve his Kashi, he posted.