Modi files nomination from Varanasi: After filing his nomination from Varanasi on April 24, 2014, the then NDA prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had a rather spiritual message to give. “Na mujhe kisi ne bheja hai…na main yahan aaya hoon…mujhe to Maa Ganga ne bulaya hai. (Neither anyone has sent me here nor I have been called. I feel Mother Ganga has called me to Varanasi)” Modi had then said. He then went on to register an overwhelming victory from the temple town beating his nearest rival by a margin of around 3 lakh votes.

In 2019, Narendra Modi is seeking a second term from Varanasi and if the enormous response to his mega roadshow on Thursday is any indication, he is set to be re-elected. However, PM Modi is certainly aware that there is no room for complacency.

Lok Sabha Election 2019: Full Coverage

Talking to journalists outside the Collectorate after filing his nomination on Friday, PM Modi cautioned voters to beware of a trap that was being set to mislead voters. Modi appealed to people to not fall into the trap of people who are saying ‘Modi has already won and there was no need to vote.’

“Some people are creating an atmosphere that Modi ji has already won (the election) and it is fine not to vote. Please don’t fall into their trap. Voting is your right and everyone must exercise it,” Modi stressed.

PM Modi’s appeal hints that the BJP is well aware of the fact that securing a comfortable majority in Lok Sabha election 2019 is not going to be a cakewalk for the party. The BJP-led NDA had literally swept the 2014 general elections in Uttar Pradesh winning 73 of the 80 seats. In neighbouring Bihar, which sends 40 MPs to Lok Sabha, the saffron party and its alliance partners LJP and RLSP had together secured 30 seats.

However, with Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party and Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party forming Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) in Uttar Pradesh and Lalu Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress entering into an alliance in Bihar, the BJP faces an uphill task of repeating its 2014 show.

While political analysts are still digging out their interpretation on the basis of voting percentage in the first three phases of polling, the BJP also seems to be making attempts to cover the areas which it believe were left unattended so far.

So far, the three phases have recorded decent voting turnouts – 69.43% (first phase), 67.6% (second phase) 65.61% (third phase). While a high voter turnout can hint towards anti-incumbency, it can also suggest an undercurrent in favour of the incumbent government.

Whatever be the reason behind PM Modi’s ardent appeal to voters, the BJP would be hoping that his mega roadshow and whirlwind rallies across the country translate into votes for the party.