Prime Minister Modi offered prayers at the Kalabhairava Temple in Varanasi. Later, he filed his nomination papers before the returning officer. Large number of BJP leaders from different places arrived in Varanasi to take part in the nomination. There was lot of euphoria and upbeat mood among the BJP cadres on the occasion.
The sympathisers arrived in large numbers to catch a glimpse of Modi. His election win is considered a certainty once again considering the rival candidates in the field. Congress initially planned to field Priyanka Gandhi here but finalized the name of Ajay Rai who was defeated in 2014. No reason was given as yet for the withdrawal of Priyanka who is presently campaigning for the victory of the party candidates only. The BJP leaders hope that Modi will win with a far greater majority this time. Prior to the nomination, Modi took out a huge rally in Varanasi town with enthusiastic participation by party cadres.
