PM Narendra Modi visits Kaal Bhairav temple before filing his LS papers

Narendra Modi at the Kaal Bhairav temple in Kashi, Pic/Twitter IANS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will file his Lok Sabha nomination for Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency today. But before filing his nomination papers, PM Narendra Modi visited the Kaal Bhairav temple in Kashi to seek the deity's blessings. PM Modi will be joined by senior leaders of the BJP, NDA and North East Democratic Alliance who are expected to be present in the city to mark the occasion.

Before heading to Kashi, PM Modi had held a grand roadshow in Varanasi along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister JP Nadda, UP and Delhi BJP chiefs, Mahendra Nath Pandey and Manoj Tiwari. He took to Twitter and said that after bumper rallies in Darbhanga and Banda, he will be heading to beloved Kashi.

PM Narendra Modi will be contesting against Congress' Ajay Rai and SP leader Shalini Yadav and not Priyanka Gandhi as it was speculated. Congress on Thursday had announced that it would field Rai as its candidate from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, putting to rest speculation regarding Priyanka Gandhi Vadra contesting the Lok Sabha elections against Prime Minister Modi. This would be the second time Prime Minister Modi and Rai will battle from Varanasi seat.

While on his way to the Collector's office, PM Narendra Modi was showered with rose petals by thousands of voters who welcomed Modi to Kashi. PM Modi was all smiles as he got down from his vehicle several times to interact with the common people who had gathered for his welcome.

NDA leaders, including Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah, Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena, Sukhbir Singh Badal from Shiromani Akali Dal, O. Panneerselvam from AIADMK, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Union Minister J.P. Nadda, arrived at the Collectorate office here ahead of Modi's nomination filing.

Earlier in the day, Modi said: "Whether I win or not is not important. It's the democracy that should win. Forming the government is in people's hands, running it is our duty."

Varanasi goes to the polls in the last phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections on May 19.

With input from agencies.

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