Bhim Army's Chandrashekhar holds roadshow in Varanasi, to contest against Modi

Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad Saturday launched his Lok Sabha poll campaign, holding a roadshow in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency Varanasi and declaring that the countdown to his defeat has begun.

Commencing his roadshow from the Kutchehri crossing after garlanding a statue of BR Ambedkar, the Dalit leader alleged the PM had only favoured the rich by waiving their loan worth billions of rupees, but "harassed" small borrowers and the poor.

"The countdown to Modi's defeat has begun," he declared.

Modi came to power in 2014 making tall promises about creating crores of jobs but he rendered millions of people jobless during his five year tenure, he said.

He snatched jobs of over two crores youths of the country, Azad alleged.

He announced he will contest the Lok Sabha elections against the Prime Minister from Varanasi.

Earlier, the district administration Friday granted Azad permission to hold roadshow between 11 AM-4 PM, from the Ambedkar Park at Kutchehri to the Ravidas Park in Lanka area.

Azad also visited the Sant Ravidas temple at Seer Govardhan with few of his supporters and offered prayers after police took a written submission that the roadshow had ended and he was visiting the temple in individual capacity.

Meanwhile, some college students tried to show him black flags during the roadshow but the police took them in custody and the roadshow proceeded in a peaceful manner uninterrupted.