![[File] Narendra Modi with Yogi Adityanath during a roadshow in Varanasi | PTI](https://img.theweek.in/content/dam/week/week/magazine/theweek/cover/images/2024/5/25/34-Modi-with-Yogi-Adityanath.jpg "[File] Narendra Modi with Yogi Adityanath during a roadshow in Varanasi | PTI")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is closing on a comfortable victory in Varanasi from where he has been an MP since 2014. However, his winning margin in this Uttar Pradesh seat could witness a massive dip this time.
As per the latest data released by the Election Commission, Modi’s lead over his closest rival of Congress's Ajai Rai is of around 1.5 lakh votes.
In 2019, Modi bagged 674, 664 votes (62.32 per cent vote share) and his winning margin against Shalini Yadav of the Samajwadi Party was around 4.8 lakh. Ajay Rai, who was also in the fray, could secure only 152,548 votes.
In 2014 general elections, Modi bagged 581,022 over his closest rival Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal who secured 209,238 votes.
Varansi voted in the last phase of the elections on June 1 with 56.35 voters exercising their franchise. The constituency has five assembly segments—Rohaniya, Varanasi South, Varanasi North, Varanasi Cantt and Sevapuri. The BJP represent all these seats, except Rohaniya, in the Vidhan Sabha.
The other Lok Sabha seats where polling took place in the last phase were Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Bansgaon (SC), Ghosi, Salempur, Ballia, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Mirzapur and Robertsganj (SC).
