Raashid Alvi wants to contest from Varanasi

Congress leader Raashid Alvi Monday urged party president Sonia Gandhi to allow him to contest from Varanasi against BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

A former MP, Alvi told IANS: "I have written to her to allow me to contest from Varanasi. Banaras (Varanasi) is a very secular city, and I am sure people of Varanasi will support me."

Alvi described AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, who is in the fray from Varanasi, as the "B team of the BJP."

"I am sure the people of Varanasi will support me," said Alvi, a former Congress spokesperson.

Saying India's secular ethos were under threat in this Lok Sabha election, Alvi said in his letter that Varanasi had played a crucial role in forging the country's secular and plural identity.