Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) National President Chirag Paswan highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nomination filing as a demonstration of the unity within the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), emphasizing that this cohesion among party leaders will bolster their efforts in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Speaking to ANI in Varanasi where he was present for the PM’s nomination filing, Paswan stated, “The unity of NDA is what is giving us benefits all over the country. Today, all the supporters of PM Modi are here in support of him during his nomination filing. Our strength is our unity.” He underscored the contrast with the opposition, remarking that the “INDI alliance lacks unity” and stressing that this unity will propel them towards their electoral goals.
Several leaders from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were present in Varanasi to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nomination filing. Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, accompanying the PM for the filing, expressed pride, stating, “We are attending the nomination filing of PM Modi… It is a matter of pride for us as he is the most popular leader in the world.” Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri emphasized the significance of the occasion, stating, “We are the world’s largest democracy. We are the mother of democracies. And our leader is filing his nomination form to be re-elected. And for the BJP and the NDA allies to come back with record numbers…”
TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu also lauded the event, saying, “It is a historic day, historic place. We are very happy to be associated with it. He brought stability and sustainability in the country for the last 10 years and now he is planning for Viksit Bharat 2047. NDA will cross 400 seats. We are very confident. It is clear that NDA is 100% sweeping (in Andhra Pradesh).”
PM Modi, the incumbent MP and BJP’s candidate, is filing his nomination papers from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat for the 2024 general elections, aiming for a third term and aspiring for a record margin. Voting in Varanasi is scheduled for June 1 in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha polls. Varanasi has been a stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party, with PM Modi securing victories in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The Congress has nominated Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai against PM Modi in Varanasi, marking the third consecutive contest between the two. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, PM Modi clinched the seat with over 6,74,664 votes and a vote share of 63.6%, following a similar triumph in 2014 when he contested from both Gujarat’s Vadodara and Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi.