PM Modi's day 3 in Varanasi: As it happened

Pic courtsey: Twitter/ANI

-Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday vowed to double farmers' income by 2022 and provide gas connection to nearly 5 crore families in UP as he addressed a rally in Varanasi's Rohaniya on the last day of campaigning for assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh. PM earlier made a brief stopover at the Gadhwa Ghat Ashram where he offered prayers and fed cows. PM Narendra Modi then proceeded to Ramnagar where he paid floral tributes to former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri. Considered as BJP's ‘Brahmastra’ the Prime Minister, who is camping in Varanasi, has campaigned vigorously for his party to make its victory appear inevitable in a tough, triangular contest with SP-Congress combine and Mayawati's BSP.

Forty seats spread across seven districts of Ghazipur, Varanasi, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Bhadohi, Sonbhadra and Jaunpur will go to the polls for the last phase on March 8.

Here are the updates:-

-PM Modi urges people to give absolute majority to BJP in UP, concludes his speech by chanting 'Jai Sri Ram, Bharat Mata ki Jai' thrice.

-It's time to empower women who live in fear in UP: PM

-It's time to think about welfare of our youth so that they can prosper: PM  

-It's time to free Uttar Pradesh from misrule of Samajwadi Party, BSP and Congress: PM Modi.  

सपा, बसपा को बार-बार मौका देकर यूपी को तबाह न करें, आगे की पीढ़ियों को तबाह होने से बचाने के लिए एनडीए गठबंधन को वोट दें: PM — narendramodi_in (@narendramodi_in) March 6, 2017

-We want poor households to have access to clean fuel. We aim to provide 5 crore families with LPG connections in 3 years: PM

-55 lakh families have been provided with LPG gas connections in just three years. Wrong people do get the jobs in UP: PM Modi

-Being raised in a poor family, I am aware of the hardships they face. We would take every step that uplifts them: PM 

-We have managed to end black marketing of urea. UP government only cares about vote bank and does not care about its farmers: PM

-We have taken big steps for the welfare of farmers. Our aim is to double their income by 2022: PM

Mera sapna hai ki saal 2022 tak Hindustan ke gareeb se gareeb parivar ko rehne ke liye ghar mile: PM Modi at a rally in Rohaniya, UP pic.twitter.com/42Y57vvr5o — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 6, 2017

-Today, Uttar Pradesh has a government that doesn’t care about farmers: PM

-UP government is anti-farmer. Why is it that farmers don't benefit from the Fasal Bima Yojana? Why they don't help farmers in distress: PM

-We have brought the Soil Health Card. We are training our farmers with scientific methods of farming: PM

-I have a dream that everyone gets his own house by 2022: PM Modi in Rhoaniya.

-Inspired by ideals of Gandhi ji & Sardar Patel, we are working for welfare of people of this country: PM

-Fortunate that I was raised on the land where Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel were born: PM.

-Paid tribute to Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri ji this morning: PM 

-PM Modi asks people to make BJP win with absolute majority.

-PM Modi calls for change in UP, says people will teach a lesson to SP, BSP

-PM Modi addresses rally in Rohaniya's Khushipur.

-PM Narendra Modi waves to supporters as he leaves Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial in Varanasi.

PM Narendra Modi waves to supporters as he leaves Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial in Varanasi pic.twitter.com/u4BilQXaOr — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 6, 2017

-PM Modi leaves for Rohaniya by road, greeted by hundreds of BJP supporters.

-PM Narendra Modi at Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial in Varanasi.

PM Modi at Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial in Varanasi pic.twitter.com/aanuIoYQO7 — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 6, 2017

-PM pays floral tributes to former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

PM Narendra Modi at Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial in Varanasi pic.twitter.com/sgC0Hg6WX2 — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 6, 2017

-PM Narendra Modi waves to supporters in Ramnagar, on his way to Lal Bahadur Shastri memorial.

-PM Modi cancels speech, leaves Gadhwa Ghat Ashram for Ramnagar.

-PM Narendra Modi at Gadhwa Ghat Ashram, will speak shortly.

Varanasi: PM Narendra Modi at Gadhwa ghat Ashram, will speak shortly pic.twitter.com/4b63iMnEkE — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 6, 2017

-Spiritual heads of the Gadhwa Ghat Ashram welcoming PM Modi.

-Akhilesh Yadav-Rahul Gandhi's joint press meet cancelled after Congress VP's plane denied permission to land in Varanasi, reports News18.com.

-PM Modi meets sadhus at Gadwa Ghat Ashram in Varanasi.

-PM Narendra Modi meets Mahant Sharananand of Gadhwa Ghat Ashram.

Varanasi (UP): PM Narendra Modi meets Mahant Sharananand of Gadhwaghat Ashram pic.twitter.com/f18QaRmwU7 — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 6, 2017

-Here's the video of the PM feeding cows at the Gadhwa Ghat ashram in Varanasi.

#WATCH Varanasi: PM Modi feeds cows at Gaushala in Gadwaghat Ashram pic.twitter.com/tYdjzPuwPl — ANI (@ANI_news) March 6, 2017

-PM Modi feeds cow at Gadhwa Ghat, set to address a rally here.

Varanasi: PM Narendra Modi at Gadhwa ghat Ashram pic.twitter.com/JHcXcHDkYq — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 6, 2017

-PM Narendra Modi offers prayers at Gadhwa Ghat Ashram in Varanasi

PM Narendra Modi offers prayers at Gadhwaghat Ashram in Varanasi pic.twitter.com/JS3gm5PcM9 — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 6, 2017

-PM Modi arrives at Gadhwa Ghat ashram.

PM Modi's roadshow in Varanasi

During his spectacular roadshow in Varanasi, PM Modi hit out at the Opposition while singing paeans to the historic city of Benaras and promising to turn it around into a modern world class metropolis.

His resumed five-km road show began at Pandeypur Square and wound its way through Chaukaghat, Teliabagh, Maldahiya and Patel Chowk to culminate at the Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith, where Modi addressed a huge gathering.

"Earlier governments did only tidbits (of development work) for Benaras (the older name for Varanasi) with an eye on short-term electoral gains. But these tidbits won't help Benaras. The city needs a complete, modern makeover and it is my dream to turn this city into a modern world-class city," he said.

He said that if earlier governments had given proper attention, Kashi (another older name for Varanasi) could have become an attraction for the world. 

"People would have yearned to visit Benaras at least once," he said.

Singing paeans to the city, Modi said Benaras is older than history and traditions, proverbs and maxims.

"Benaras is not a city, it is a living heritage. Every Indian considers Benaras as his own," he said.

Targeting political rivals Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday termed the two "galua", which he said in the local dialect meant those born with a silver spoon.

"The (Uttar Pradesh) Chief Minister (Akhilesh Yadav) and his new-found friend (Rahul Gandhi) are galua. They have got everything in inheritance, they are born with a silver spoon," Modi said.

"These people born in affluence are weak... they can't take tough decisions because they can't take pains. Only the one who has come from the grass root can take tough decisions," he said.

Modi, who began his speech by chanting "Bharat Mata ki Jai" and "Har Har Mahadev", cited the surgical strikes and demonetisation to underscore that the government should be capable of taking tough decisions.

He also took a jibe at the opposition, saying their motto is "kuchh ka sath, kuchh ka vikas" (selective association, selective development).

"There is fertile land and hard working people but there is no good government," he said.

The Prime Minister said the central government is ready to provide required funds for development of the region but the state government must be able to properly account for the expenses.

Modi said Uttar Pradesh would become the "number one" state in the country only after Poorvanchal is developed.

He said that electricity is something required by every household in this modern age but the Samajwadi Party government refused to take electricity from the Centre. 

Earlier, the Prime Minister first flew from the airport to the Police Lines in a special Indian Air Force chopper. He then made his way in a bullet-proof car in a convoy to the Pandeypur area, from where the road show commenced.

Thousands of supporters thronged the route along which Modi went. Carrying BJP flags and shouting 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Har Har Modi, Ghar Ghar Modi', they waved at Modi, who acknowledged their greetings and waved back at them.

Polling in Varanasi, which is also Modi's parliamentary constituency, and some surrounding districts will be held in the seventh and last phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections on March 8.   

With Agency inputs