Modi takes unassailable lead over Kejriwal in Varanasi

Lucknow, May 16 (IANS) BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi was set to win from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat by a huge margin.

Modi took an unassailable lead of 1.5 lakh votes over his closest rival, Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

In the votes counted so far, Modi got over 2.32 lakh votes against Kejriwal (over 68,000), Vijay Prakash Jaiswal of the Bahujan Samaj Party (over 28,000) and Ajay Rai of the Congress was at a poor fourth with over 25,000 votes.

Kailash Chaurasiya of the Samajwadi Party was at the fifth position with just over 20,000 votes.

BJP supporters and workers celebrated and burst crackers on the roads.

Modi is expected to come to the temple town Saturday for a thanksgiving trip and will also take part in the Ganga Aarti, permission for which was denied when he wanted to do so May 10.

Modi won from Vadodara in Gujarat, which was the second constituency from where he contested, by over four lakh votes.