PM Modi roadshow in Varanasi: Watch live coverage on Aaj Tak
When it comes to creating a poll blitz, nobody can match Prime Minister Narendra Modi. So, if you thought politicians gain traction by giving interviews at the time of elections, Modi showed you how to do the interview better — turn it into a chat show with a Bollywood superstar. If you thought politicians can make a spectacle of a road show as they go out to file their nomination, Modi is showing you how to organise an nomination filing eve — there is a road show underway in Uttar Pradesh's religious city of Varanasi, a full day ahead of Modi filing his nomination papers from the constituency.
Watch the full coverage of the road show on Aaj Tak:
Accompanying the Prime Minister on this grand show of strength and popularity are BJP stalwarts including Sushma Swaraj, Nirmala Sitharaman, Nitin Gadkari and Piyush Goyal.
Gadkari joining the Modi road show assumes wider significance because many were posing him as a PM hopeful — with Gadkari by his side now, Modi is proving more points than one. While he is clearly the numero uno among the political leaders of India in the race to the PM’s chair, his party is solidly backing him, lending his campaign in Varanasi more heft.
On a day Modi is undertaking the road show, the Congress has also shown it is not serious about a fight with Modi, nominating Ajay Rai, who reportedly lost his deposit earlier, as its candidate from the constituency instead of a proper political heavyweight.
After all the hype then, Congress’ east UP in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will not lock horns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi as the party announced it would repeat Ajay Rai instead. Rumour mills were abuzz with the news of the Congress fielding Priyanka Gandhi after she hinted that she was ready to take on PM Modi — if party chief Rahul Gandhi decided.
While the rally was scheduled to be held around 3 pm, it was delayed by over two hours — PM Modi then tweeted to inform supporters that he was on his way to Kashi after addressing public meetings in Banda and Bihar's Darbhanga.
Meanwhile, Modi supporters can be spotted wearing special T-shirts and chanting PM's name. Many BJP leaders, like Manoj Tiwari, Shazia Ilmi and Shahnawaz Hussain, have already arrived at the venue and set off with the PM, whose cavalcade is being feted by fans on every inch of Varanasi's streets.
Modi will later participate in the Ganga ‘aarti’.