Senior BJP, NDA and NEDA leaders to accompany PM Modi to file nomination from Varanasi

Almost all prominent leaders of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) will accompany Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he files nomination from Varanasi on April 26.

Senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as well as ally party leaders like JD (U) chief Nitish Kumar, Shiromani Akali Dal patron and former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, Lok Janshakti Party president Ram Vilas Paswan, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray as well as many prominent leaders of NEDA will reach the temple city to mark the occasion.

"All senior BJP leaders including all members of party's parliamentary board will be present with PM Modi in Varanasi on April 26," BJP president Amit Shah said at a press conference here on Tuesday evening. "All senior leaders of the NDA including Prakash Badal, Nitish Kumar, Ram Vilas Paswan, AIADMK leaders, Uddhav Thackeray, NEDA leaders will be also present."

Modi will file his nomination in Varanasi at around 11:30 am on April 26.

He will reach Varanasi on April 25 and hold a grand road show in the constituency. The road show will begin at the statue of Madanmohan Malaviya and will end at Dashashwamedh Ghat, passing through Lanka and Madanpura areas of the city, Shah said.

The Prime Minister will participate in the Ganga Aarti on the bank of the holy river in the evening. After that, he will interact with some selected intellectuals at Hotel De Paris.

The next day, on April 26, the Prime Minister will be meeting with the BJP workers of the constituency in the hotel, Shah added.

Modi will file nomination after offering prayers at Kal Bhairav Temple.

Speaking to media here, the BJP president said Prime Minister Modi will win with a greater margin compared to that of 2014. "I hope that the people of Kashi will give more affection to Modi ji than they gave him in 2014," he said.

During the 2014 general elections, Prime Minister Modi contested and won from Vadodara in Gujarat as well as from Varanasi, but retained the latter after trouncing Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal with a massive margin of 3.37 lakh votes.

Varanasi will vote on May 19 - in the seventh and last phase of the Lok Sabha elections. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.