Arvind Kejriwal to file nomination from Varanasi today

Varanasi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal will file his nomination today for the high-profile electoral contest in Varanasi where he will face stiff challenge from BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

Last month, Mr Kejriwal had announced that he will contest from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat after BJP’s decision to field Mr Modi from the city, considered one of the most prestigious constituencies in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh.45-year-old Mr Kejriwal, who had led his fledging AAP to a spectacular victory in the Delhi Assembly polls in December last year, has been trying to replicate the successful Delhi campaign model in Varanasi by holding scores of road shows and corner meetings across Varanasi.
Hundreds of AAP volunteers are also going door-to-door to garner support from people with BJP running an aggressive campaign to consolidate its vote bank.

In 2009 Lok Sabha election, senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi had won the seat defeating gangster-cum-politician Mukhtar Ansari by a margin of 17,000 votes.

Quami Ekta Dal’s, Mr Ansari, who is known to have a strong support base among Muslims, has decided not to contest against Mr Modi from the seat “to avoid division of secular votes”.

The four-time MLA from Mau is currently lodged in Agra jail in BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai murder case.

Congress has fielded Ajay Rai, a Varanasi local, who is an MLA from Pindra assembly constituency. Samajwadi Party candidate Kailash Chaurasiya is also a sitting MLA from nearby Mirzapur.

Both Mr Rai and Mr Chaurasiya have already filed their nominations.

The entry of Mr Modi and Mr Kejriwal has escalated the political temperature in the battle turning it into one of the most keenly watched contests in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Exuding confidence of pulling off a surprise, the AAP leader says people of Varanasi will stand behind him and defeat the BJP strongman while the saffron party feels Mr Modi will not face any significant fight in the constituency.

The constituency has around 1.5 lakh Muslim voters and Mr Kejriwal has been trying hard to woo the community.

An AAP leader said Mr Kejriwal will hold a road show before filing his nomination today. Polling in Varanasi would be held in the last phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 12.

BSP has fielded Vijay Prakash Jaisawal while CPI(M) has given ticket to veteran party worker Heera Lal Yadav.