Modi to hold mega roadshow in Varanasi today

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a mega roadshow in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi on Thursday, a show of strength that will include union ministers, state chief minister and other senior leaders of the BJP.

Modi, who will file his nomination papers for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat on Friday, is expected to start his roadshow by first garlanding the statue of Banaras Hindu University founder Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya. 

The roadshow will stretch over six kilometres, going from the Lanka area to Dashashwamedh Ghat via Godoliya, party insiders said. 

Top Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, including Union ministers Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal and Nirmala Sitharaman, as well as BJP president Amit Shah and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states are expected to accompany him.

JD(U) president Nitish Kumar and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will accompany Modi as he files his nomination around 11.30 am on Friday. Shiromani Akali Dal's Parkash Singh Badal and Lok Janshakti Party chief



Ram Vilas Paswan will also be in attendance, the BJP said. 

The party on Wednesday said the prime minister will participate in the Ganga arti at Dashashwamedh Ghat after the roadshow. At 8 pm, he will have a conversation with eminent personalities of Varanasi at Hotel De Paris.

On Friday, the PM will address booth heads and party workers at 9.30 am and go on to worship the city god Kal Bhairav at 11 am. 

"At 11.30 am, PM will file his nomination for Varanasi Lok Sabha seat," said the BJP. 

"In this (nomination) program, Akali Dal's senior leader and former chief minister (Punjab) Shri Parkash Singh Badal ji, Bihar chief minister and JDU chief Shri Nitish Kumar ji, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray ji, central minister and president of Lok Janshakti Party Ram Vilas Paswanji will be present," the party press release had said.

The release added that leaders of AIADMK, Apna Dal and North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) will also be present.