UP polls: Dharmendra Pradhan urges people to welcome PM Modi in Varanasi

Ahead of PM Narendra Modi's election campaign in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has urged people to greet and welcome him in large numbers on Friday

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's election campaign in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has urged people to greet and welcome him in large numbers on Friday.

The Prime Minister, who has been on the campaign trail for the seven-phased Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, will be holding rallies and roadshows in the district today.

"The Prime Minister is going to come tomorrow (Friday), will you be there? PM Modi will come to greet you. It is my invitation to you all that you come," the minister said while addressing 'Yuva Samvaad' at DAV Degree College in Daranagar, Uttar Pradesh on Thursday.

Speaking to children at the school about the Ukraine crisis the minister said that several Indian students have been evacuated and more are to set to return under the leadership of the Prime Minister.

"There is a war going on between Russia and Ukraine. Indian students are stranded there. Today, when I read the newspaper in the morning, I read that about 4,000 students have returned to the country. In the forthcoming days, the Government of India under the leadership of the Prime Minister will bring all the people back and not leave anyone behind."

The minister also urged the people to vote in large numbers in the seventh phase of the Assembly elections in the state.

"Celebrating the festival of democracy, people of Varanasi on March 7 should cast 70 per cent votes," he said.

Heaping praise for the Prime Minister, the minister said, "PM Modi has brought New Education Policy. It's been 75 years since independence. I say this with great humility, even admit it, and I am not the one to run away from it. We can say today that the youth of our country are self-reliant in terms of employment."

Urging the voters to chose wisely, the minister said, "A decisive government is needed for progress. There will be a corruption-free system, only then society will progress. We have resolved to serve you with this kind of decisive leadership. Today, the sixth phase of the state Assembly elections is over. After four days, you will have to decide whether a decisive government will be formed in the state, or a communal government will be formed."

He also said, "I will keep my side in democracy. I cannot say that my system is right and this is the speciality of the republic. It is the feature of democracy that the people vote in four kinds of elections. The irony is, the educated don't vote in our country. It is everyone's responsibility that we vote. There is also an appeal to the students that they must come to vote."

The Prime Minister's Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi will go to the polls on March 7. Varanasi district comprises Pindra, Ajagara, Shivpur, Rohaniya, Varanasi North, Varanasi South, Varanasi Cantt, and Sevapuri Assembly seats. A total of 54 Assembly seats across nine districts including Azamgarh, Mau, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Mirzapur, Bhadohi and Sonbhadra, will go to polls in the seventh and final phase.