Joined by top NDA leaders, Modifiles nomination for Varanasi LS seat

Varanasi, Apr 26 Prime Minister Narendra Modi filed his nomination papers for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat on Friday, joined by a galaxy of top BJP and NDA leaders in what was an enormous show of solidarity for the nation's ruling alliance.

Bihar Chief Minister and JD-U chief Nitish Kumar, Union minister and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray and Shiromani Akali Dal supporter Parkash Singh Badal were with Modi at the Collectorate as Modi recorded his papers, looking for a second term in the Lok Sabha from the temple town.

BJP leaders, including party president Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and senior Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Sushma Swaraj, were also present on the occasion.

Before reaching the Varanasi collectorate to file his nomination, Modi went to a temple to offer prayers.

The prime minister, who reached here on Thursday and brought life to a standstill as he held a seven kilometer roadshow through the town, also addressed party workers in the morning.

The nation, he stated, is seeing a pro incumbency wave out of the blue. He noticed that the disposition is merry from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and said party workers are the real candidates.

The prime minister said he had worked sincerely for good administration and the people had made up their minds that they want another Modi government.

"During yesterday's roadshow here, I host detected the diligent work of gathering unit," he said in the midst of serenades of "Modi".

Modi, who also participated in the "Ganga aarti" at the Dashashwamedh ghat, addressed a late night meeting here on Thursday. While the last five years were about his government making sincere efforts, the next five will be about results, he said.

Modi also laid weight on national security and said a new India gives a befitting reply to terror.

In 2014, Modi won the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, defeating Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal by a massive margin of 3.37 lakh vote.

Modi polled 5,16,593 votes - about half the total votes -- while Congress' Ajay Rai finished third.

Rai is the Congress applicant again this time from the constituency that goes to the polls on May 19.