KV, other Varanasi temples saw rush of leaders before final phase UP poll

Amid the 2022 UP assembly polls, which are now drawing to a close, various top leaders visited the Kashi Vishwanath (KV) and other prominent temples of Varanasi before the final phase of voting that concluded on March 7.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers at Kashi Vishwanath temple twice on February 27 and March 4, Union ministers Amit Shah, Dharmendra Pradhan and Anurag Thakur offered prayers there during their visits to the temple town before the seventh and the final phase of polling. Varanasi had gone to polls in the last phase.

National BJP president JP Nadda and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath offered prayers to Baba Kashi Vishwanath on March 3. Moreover, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited the KV temple on March 4. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav also offered prayers at the temple on March 4. The next day, he offered prayers at Baba Kaal Bhairav temple. The same morning, Yadav also visited Mrityunjay Mahadev temple and sought blessings of Lord Shiva. In the last week of February, Akhilesh had offered prayers to Lord Hanuman at Hanumangarhi Temple in Ayodhya.

Samajwadi Party leader Dimple Yadav visited Maa Vindhyavasini temple around a month ago. Earlier on February 16, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath had offered prayers at Sant Ravidas temple here. On February 15, Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi had offered prayers to Baba Kashi Vishwanath. On February 16, Channi along with Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had visited the Sant Ravidas temple.