PM Modi to file nomination papers from Varanasi today; Dom Raja, chowkidar among proposers

A member of the Dom Raja family, which helps perform the last rites at Varanasi’s Manikarnika Ghat, a veteran BJP leader, a chowkidar and the principal of a women’s college will be the proposers for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nomination on Friday.

PM Modi at Varanasi

Prime Minister Modi shall be filing his Lok Sabha nomination papers in the presence of senior NDA leaders, including Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, AIADMK leaders, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Parkash Singh Badal, Lok Jan Shakti’s Ram Vilas Paswan, many Union ministers and chief ministers. The PM is expected to file his nomination by 11:30 pm. A member of the Dom Raja family, which helps perform the last rites at Varanasi’s Manikarnika Ghat, a veteran BJP leader, a chowkidar and the principal of a women’s college will be the proposers for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nomination on Friday. “Jagdish Chaudhary will be one of the proposers for Modi. His name has been finalised. So far this is confirmed,” a senior BJP leader said. Another BJP leader, who didn’t wish to be named, said veteran BJP leader Subhash Gupta had also been chosen as a proposer. A chowkidar, possibly from the Other Backward Class community whose name has not been disclosed yet, is also among the possible proposers. Panini Kanya Mahavidyalaya principal Nandita Shastri Chaturvedi is also one among the four proposers for Prime Minister’s name. “This is a matter great pride and honour,” Nandita Shashtri Chaturvedi said. The grandson of late Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan, Nasir Abbas Bismillah, had also written an open letter to Modi expressing his desire to become a proposer. His name is yet to be cleared. In the last election, the family had refused to become a proposer for Modi, saying they do not want to be associated with any political party on this ‘hot seat’. The Prime Minister won the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat by more than half the votes polled or 56% with a massive margin of 3.37 lakh votes in the Lok Sabha election in 2014. The Congress’ Ajai Rai and Samajwadi Party’s Shalini Yadav are the other candidates contesting from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat.