PM Modi holds roadshow in Varanasi
Varanasi: As the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections enter the last phase, the political parties' plan of action is now centred to the heart of 'Purvanchal' (Eastern UP)–Varanasi. The pilgrim city witnessed a sequential political caravan from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mega roadshow to Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav's roadshow on Friday.
PM Modi is on a two-day visit to his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi and had begun his first roadshow from the very location, where he held his mega rally after filing nomination papers for the 2014 Lok Sabha election–Maldahiya area of North Varanasi assembly constituency.
He began the roadshow after garlanding a statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at Maldahiya crossing. Covering almost 3.5 km, PM Modi's mega roadshow covered Lahurabir area of Varanasi city to Godaulia to Kashi Vishwanath temple. PM Modi's roadshow covered the three Assembly segments of Cantonment, Varanasi North and Varanasi South. He arrived in Varanasi after addressing a rally in neighbouring Mirzapur.
The crowded street resonated "Jai Shri Ram" and "Har Har Mahadev", and showered rose petals as the Prime Minister's cavalcade moved through the city's narrow lanes. Modi wore a saffron cap and a Gamcha around the neck. His roadshow ended at the Kashi Vishwanath temple, where he offered prayers. PM Modi is scheduled to stay at the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) guesthouse.
On Saturday, the Prime Minister will wind up the election campaign with a rally in Khajuria village under the Rohaniya Assembly seat ahead of the last phase of the high-octane UP Assembly polls. Modi has been addressing various election programmes across the state, will now lead the poll blitzkrieg in his Lok Sabha constituency for two days on March 4 and 5.
Meanwhile, experts feel that his visit will boost up BJP workers and may help the saffron party to retain power for the second time.
After PM Modi's mega roadshow, another gigantic roadshow was held by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav from 8 pm to 10 pm. While pictures of PM Modi sipping on steaming tea at a roadside stall went viral, Yadav said the historic night at Kashi would give birth to a "new dawn of political consciousness". He tweeted in Hindi: "This historic journey of the night of Kashi… will lead to a new 'Subah-e-Banaras' of political consciousness…"
On the other hand, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple on Friday afternoon.
