PM Modi's Nomination Filing in Varanasi: A Grand Display of Political Might

Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially filed his nomination for the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi on Tuesday morning, following an impressive six-kilometre roadshow the previous evening. Accompanied by a host of senior leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party and its coalition partners, including party President JP Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, as well as Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma. 

Among the coalition partners in attendance were Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary, Lok Janshakti Party leader Chirag Paswan, Apna Dal (Sonelal) leader Anupriya Patel, and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party's Om Prakash Rajbhar.

This morning, on his way to file his nomination, Modi sought blessings at the renowned Dashashwamedh Ghat on the banks of the Ganges, accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, before visiting the Kaal Bhairav Temple. Expressing his sentiments, Modi remarked, "My relationship with my Kashi is extraordinary, inseparable, and incomparable; it cannot be articulated in words!" 

"I am overwhelmed and emotional! I didn't even realise how 10 years passed under the shade of your affection. Aaj Maa Ganga ne mujhe god le liya hai (today, Maa Ganga has embraced me)." 

Following the nomination filing, Modi engaged with party workers at the Rudraksh Convention Centre in the city. Reflecting on Monday's roadshow, the Prime Minister remarked, "The love and blessings shown by the people of Kashi during the roadshow became an unforgettable moment in my life."

Varanasi is scheduled to vote in the seventh and final phase of the election on June 1. In the 2019 polls, Modi secured victory by nearly 4.8 lakh votes, marking a significant increase from his winning margin of 3.72 lakh votes five years earlier.