
Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has officially filed his nomination papers to contest from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat in the upcoming 2024 general elections. Varanasi has been a stronghold for PM Modi, who has secured victories with significant margins in the last two consecutive terms.
In the previous 2019 polls, PM Modi triumphed in Varanasi by a remarkable margin, amassing over 6,74,664 votes, and claiming a substantial vote share of 63.6 percent. This marks Modi’s third consecutive bid for the Varanasi seat in the Lok Sabha.
Facing Modi as his primary opponent in Varanasi is Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai, making it Rai’s third contest against PM Modi in a Lok Sabha election. Varanasi is scheduled to go to polls in the seventh and final phase of the election on June 1.
Prime Minister Modi submitted his nomination papers after seeking blessings at the Kaal Bhairav temple and offering prayers at the Dashashwamedh Ghat along the sacred Ganga river. The event saw the presence of chief ministers from BJP-ruled states, Union ministers, top BJP office bearers, as well as leaders from other political parties.