Security tightened in Varanasi ahead of PM's roadshow

Security personnel have been deployed in large numbers throughout Varanasi, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold a roadshow, a day before filing his nomination for the Lok Sabha seat.

Varanasi: Security has been tightened up in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the city on Thursday.

Security personnel have been deployed at several places, as the road show is scheduled to begin at around 3 pm after the prime minister garlands the statue of Banaras Hindu University founder Madan Mohan Malaviya.

The procession will end at about 7 pm at the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the most prominent of Varanasi's ghats, where Modi will take part in the evening prayers.

Modi, who is re-contesting from the Varanasi Parliamentary constituency, will also take part in the Ganga Aarti a day before filing his nomination papers.

Among the allies attending the event are Bihar chief minister and JDU chief Nitish Kumar, Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal, Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.

Union ministers Sushma Swaraj, Piyush Goyal, J P Nadda and Nitin Gadkari are also likely to attend, party leaders said.

In 2014, Modi won the seat by a margin of over three lakh votes against Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal.

This time there is speculation that the Congress may field its general secretary Priyanka Gandhi against him.

Read: PM Modi to hold roadshow in Varanasi today