News Analysis India

Tag: Ajay Rai

  • Varanasi: PM Modi to hold road show in Varanasi on May 13 before filing nomination

    Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be filing his nomination papers from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat on May 14 and before filling his nomination papers, he will hold a road show in his parliamentary constituency on May 13.

    Before starting the roadshow, PM Modi will first pay tribute to the Madan Mohan Malviya statue at the main gate of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Lanka.

    The roadshow will go until Kashi Vishwanath Corridor.The high-voltage roadshow is likely to see the participation of lakhs of workers from the party.AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesMeanwhile, preparations are underway for the PM’s roadshow. In the Lok Sabha management committee meeting held in Varanasi, regional president Dilip Patel said that PM Modi’s roadshow will start by garlanding the Malviya statue in Lanka.”It will go to the Vishwanath Corridor via Assi, Sonarpura, Jangam Bari, Godaulia, and Bansphatak,” he added.PM Modi will be given a grand welcome during this. Responsibilities are being assigned to the workers to make the road show historic.Meetings of all the assembly constituencies in the Varanasi parliamentary constituency have been organised for tomorrow. After this, meetings will be held with workers in all 21 divisions in one day. The organisation is busy preparing with the target of participation of lakhs of workers in this roadshow.

    Varanasi is the stronghold of the Prime Minister. He won the seat twice – the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

    Congress has pitted Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai against PM Modi in Varanasi. This is the third time Ajay Rai will face PM Modi in a Lok Sabha contest

    In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, PM Modi won the seat with over 674,664 votes and commanded a vote share of 63.6 per cent.

    Earlier in 2014, PM Modi fought on two Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat’s Vadodara and the second was Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi.

    The Varanasi seat comprises five Assembly segments including Rohaniya, Varanasi North, Varanasi South, Varanasi Cantt, and Sevapuri.

    The voting for the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency will be held in the seventh phase of the elections on June 1. The counting of the votes will be held on June 4.

  • Sedition charge on Cong’s Ajay Rai in Varanasi over remarks on Modi, Adityanath

    By PTI

    VARANASI: Congress candidate in Uttar Pradesh Ajay Rai was on Saturday booked for sedition for allegedly making a hate speech against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, officials said here.

    He was also booked for alleged violation of the model code of conduct and COVID-19 protocols during an “unauthorised” election campaign at Rajetara village in the Pindra assembly constituency area of Varanasi district on January 31, they said.

    The action against Rai comes close on the heels of a sedition case registered against Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) candidate from Bijnor Neeraj Chaudhary over alleged pro-Pakistan slogans during campaigning for the assembly polls.

    The Congress has fielded Rai from the Pindra seat for the elections in the state. The FIR against him, seen by PTI, was lodged at the Phoolpur police station on Saturday evening following a report by the local returning officer of the assembly area.

    Besides IPC section 124A (sedition), Rai has been booked under sections 269 (unlawfully or negligently spreading infection of any disease dangerous to life), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153A (promoting enmity between groups on ground of religion, class etc) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), the FIR showed.

    “Multiple complaints were received regarding the episode which was also shared live by Ajay Rai on his Facebook page and cognisance of the matter taken. A four-member team was formed and all due procedures followed after which he was found guilty,” Varanasi Deputy Collector and Pindra Returning Officer Rajeev Rai told PTI.

    The officer said the Congress leader’s response was sought over the issue but his explanation was found unsatisfactory as his interpretation of the event appeared contradictory to what was seen in the video.

    “Rai has been found holding the campaign without permission, in violation of the guidelines for coronavirus and also violating the model code of conduct. During the campaign, he also used objectionable language against the prime minister and the chief minister,” the returning officer said.

    Ajay Rai stood third in the assembly polls from Pindra in 2017. BJP’s Avadhesh Singh had won the election. Pindra, which falls in Modi’s parliamentary constituency of Varanasi, will go to polls on March 7 during the last phase of the assembly elections in the state. Election results will be declared on March 10.