VARANASI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will file his nomination papers for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat today, a day after he held a mega roadshow and performed the Ganga aarti on Thursday. While addressing a gathering in the temple town, Modi on Thursday sought assurance from the people of Varanasi to win the election for him. "I would leave after filing nominations tomorrow and would then come back to thank you after I win."

On Thursday, before reaching Varanasi, Modi had tweeted: "After bumper rallies in Darbhanga and Banda, I am heading to beloved Kashi."

"There are a series of programmes lined up, which would give me another excellent opportunity to interact with my sisters and brothers of Kashi. Har Har Mahadev!" he had tweeted.

Modi will file papers in the presence of senior NDA leaders including JDU president Nitish Kumar and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. Shiromani Akali Dal's Parkash Singh Badal and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan will also be in attendance when the PM files his nominations at 11.30 am on Friday.

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On Friday, the PM would be addressing booth heads and party workers at 9.30 am.

"After this program, around 11 am, the PM will go and worship the city god Kal Bhairav. At 11.30 am, PM will file his nomination for Varanasi Lok Sabha seat," said the release.

"In this (nomination) program, Akali Dal's senior leader and former chief minister (Punjab) Shri Parkash Singh Badal ji, Bihar chief minister and JDU chief Shri Nitish Kumar ji, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray ji, central minister and president of Lok Janshakti Party Ram Vilas Paswanji will be present," the press release said.

The release added that leaders of AIADMK, Apna Dal and North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) will also be present.

Modi is re-contesting from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh. Modi won the seat in 2014 by defeating Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Ajay Rai of the Congress. Varanasi goes to the polls on May 19 in the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

(With inputs from agencies)