Lok Sabha Polls: PM Modi to file nomination today in Varanasi. Top points

Lok Sabha elections: PM Narendra Modi, set to file his nomination papers from Varanasi in a while, is eyeing a third consecutive win from the key UP Lok Sabha seat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will file his nomination on Tuesday from Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, aiming for a larger victory margin compared to his previous two wins.

Ahead of filing his nomination, Modi posted on X about his relationship with Kashi: "My relationship with my Kashi is amazing, inseparable, and incomparable... all I can say is that it cannot be expressed in words!"

PM Modi's schedule in Varanasi today

According to his schedule, before filing the papers, Modi offered prayers at Dashwamedh Ghat and took a dip in the River Ganga before boarding the cruise ship to Namo Ghat. The day before, Modi also held an extravagant roadshow in Varanasi on a five-kilometre stretch, surrounded by what can be described as a "sea" of over 100,000 saffron supporters. He was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BJP state president Chaudhary Bhupendra Singh.

Modi followed a similar schedule of holding a massive roadshow in Varanasi the day before filing his nomination papers in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Varanasi will participate in the final phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, scheduled for June 1, with results expected to be announced on June 4. The holy city is one of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.

Varanasi Lok Sabha seat contest

The Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency is anticipated to be a comfortable victory for Prime Minister Modi, given his widespread popularity in the Hindi heartland of India. The city, often referred to as the "spiritual capital" for Hindu pilgrims, is likely to further bolster Modi's margin of victory, especially due to the BJP's success in facilitating the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

The Modi government's emphasis on promoting Hindu cultural heritage has been a central aspect of their election campaign, resonating strongly with supporters of Hindu nationalism.

Candidates on Varanasi Lok Sabha seat

This year, Modi will face the Lok Sabha election contest mainly against Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai. This will be the Congress leader's third attempt to oust Modi from Varanasi.

According to the Election Commission's website, a total of 14 candidates have filed their nominations from the key seat so far. Other than some independent candidates and regional parties' bets, the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party has fielded 70-year-old Muslim candidate Ather Jamal Lari to challenge Modi.

Notably, internet sensation and comedian Shyam Rangeela, who went viral in 2017 for his mimicry act of PM Modi, also wishes to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi. However, the comedian has alleged that he is not being allowed to file nomination papers despite repeated attempts. "This is murder of democracy," he alleged.

"Varanasi Election Commission Office, May 14, 9:15am reached. There is no answer coming from anywhere, but we haven't given up hope of getting nominated yet," he said in a post on 'X' on Tuesday, which is the last day to file papers.

Modi's Lok Sabha election victory margin in 2019

In the last Lok Sabha elections, Modi defeated his nearest rival Shalini Yadav of Samajwadi Party by 479,505 votes. Rai bagged 152,548 votes to secure the third spot. Being a joint candidate from the Opposition's INDIA bloc, Rai is expected to fare better this time compared to his 2019 poll bid when he secured a vote share of 14.38 per cent against Modi's staggering 63.62 per cent.

Varanasi Lok Sabha election contest 2014

Modi's 2019 victory margin improved by nearly 100,000 votes compared to his 2014 performance when he defeated Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal by over 371,784 votes. Rai secured the third position in 2014 with 7.34 per cent of the votes, resulting in the forfeiture of his deposit for failing to get at least one-sixth of the total votes cast, as mandated by the election body.