Rajnath visits Lucknow temple ahead of filing nomination

Ahead of filing nomination for the Lok Sabha elections, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh offered prayers at the city's revered Hanuman Setu temple.

Singh was accompanied by party's national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi and UP Minister Brajesh Pathak.

After praying at the temple, Singh will be heading to BJP state headquarters situated at Hazratganj Chauraha where he is likely to address party workers before holding a road show to the collector's office for filing nomination.

Key leaders of state BJP and Uttar Pradesh government are expected to be present during the road show.

Singh had contested from Lucknow parliamentary constituency for the first time in 2014 and registered an easy victory over the Congress candidate. Singh's nearest rival then was Rita Bahuguna Joshi who is now in BJP and a minister in UP government.

Lucknow remains a prestigious constituency for BJP as it was once held by party patriarch and former prime minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Elections in Lucknow will be held in the fifth phase on May 6. The results will be announced on May 23.

Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath also visited the Hanuman Setu temple and offered prayers. His visit came after a day after the Election Commission (EC) imposed a ban him from campaigning for 72 hours, starting today morning.

Adityanath offered prayers and spent some time in the temple, but refrained from speaking to media present at the venue.