Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to file his nomination from Varanasi today. After paying homage to Mother Ganga at Dashashwamedh Ghat, he will submit his nomination. This marks his third candidature from the BJP in Varanasi. Previously, he won the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat in 2014 and 2019.
PM Modi’s Four Proposers
PM Modi has four proposers for his nomination. The first is Pandit Ganeshwar Shastri, from the Brahmin community, who selected the auspicious date for the foundation laying ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The second proposer is Baijnath Patel, an OBC community member and a dedicated worker of the RSS. Lalchand Kushwaha, also from the OBC community, serves as the third proposer, and the fourth is Sanjay Sonkar, representing the Dalit community. Additionally, more than 18 Cabinet Ministers will be present during the nomination process. Security arrangements have been tightened outside the Varanasi Collectorate ahead of PM Modi’s nomination.
Claim of Record Victory
Voting in the Varanasi constituency is scheduled for June 1st. This seat is considered a stronghold of the BJP. Since 1991, the Congress has only managed to win once from here. Since 2009, the BJP has consistently won from this seat. The BJP claims that they will achieve a record victory this time, surpassing their previous vote counts. Varanasi is a Hindu-majority area, with Hindus comprising seventy-five percent of the population, while Muslims make up twenty percent, and the remaining five percent belong to other communities. Ajay Rai is contesting as the Congress candidate from Varanasi.
With PM Modi’s nomination, the political atmosphere in Varanasi is charged, as all parties gear up for a significant electoral battle in this historic city.