PM Modi holds roadshow in Varanasi, to file nomination today

“Kashi is special… The warmth and affection of the people here is unbelievable,” Modi posted on X.

While he was first accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, state BJP president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary joined them later.

Seeking a third consecutive term from Varanasi, which will go to polls in the last phase on June 1, Modi will file his nomination papers on Tuesday. The Opposition INDIA bloc has fielded Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai.

On Monday, as BJP supporters raised slogans of “Jai Shri Ram”, “Har Har Mahadev”, “Humar Kashi, Humar Modi”, and “Phir ek baar Modi sarkar,” the question being debated on the ground was Modi’s victory margin.

“It is all about the margin. Everyone knows Modi will win, but how many votes will he win by. I say 6-7 lakh this time,” said Ashutosh Pandey (36), branch manager, IFFCO, and a resident of Varanasi.

In 2014, when Modi first contested from Varanasi, he polled about 3.37 lakh votes more than AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, his nearest rival. The constituency recorded a voter turnout of 58.35 per cent then.

In 2019, when the voter turnout in Varanasi was 57.81 per cent, Modi’s victory margin increased to 4.80 lakh votes against the Samajwadi Party’s Shalini Yadav.

A majority of the voters in the constituency are upper-caste Hindus, including Brahmins, Bhumihars and Jaiswals, followed by Muslims and OBCs.

Wearing a saffron T-shirt with Modi’s photograph captioned “Main hun Modi ka pariwar (I am Modi’s family)”, Sarvesh Mishra (22), a post-graduate student at BHU, said: “Bahut bade fan hain Modiji ke (I am a big fan of Modi). I study sanskrit which is connected to sanatan dharm. Issues like Ram temple are a priority for me. Berozgaari, mehengai aur corruption alag issue hai (Unemployment, inflation and corruption are a separate issue). All leaders talk, but nobody does anything for Hindus. Other parties cite secularism. But Modi works for Hindutva, and that is the biggest reason I will vote for him and his party. He got the Ram temple made. No one could do it. We will beat inflation and unemployment, but if we can’t save our religion, then what is the point.”

“Modi will obviously win. He has worked a lot. I came here 10 years ago, when I was in Class 6. Things have changed now. There is a huge difference in Kashi, as well as the country. Modiji will win this seat by a big margin because he is loved by all. He is doing a lot for the country on the world stage. He is making us a vishwa guru and we have already become the third largest economy in the world,” said Ridhi Chauhan (20), an undergraduate student at BHU who is a resident of Samastipur in Bihar.

Bullu Yadav (35), a resident of Varanasi who owns a garment shop, said the victory margin would be at least 6 lakh.

“He will win by 7 lakh votes. My whole neighborhood will vote for him. How can we not? He is our leader. He is the leader of all Hindus. I have some complaints, but not about Modiji. The officers here are indulging in corruption, and that’s why some development works are stalled. But one can’t blame the PM for such things. He is doing his best. It is an issue about officers. They are corrupt,” said Arvind Rai (42), another resident of Varanasi who is unemployed.