Lok Sabha candidates line up before Ram Lalla

Blessings of Ram Lalla have been sought by more than half a dozen Lok Sabha candidates during this poll season. While PM Modi who visited Ram temple on Sunday has been extremely vocal about his devotion to Ram, politicians from Delhi, Bihar, Punjab besides Uttar Pradesh, too, have been making a beeline to the Ram temple to seek the lord’s blessings for victory in the polls.

The model code of conduct came into force on March 16. Though majority of the candidates coming to Ayodhya are from the saffron camp, Congress’ former Punjab CM and party’s candidate from Jalandhar Lok Sabha (SC), Charanjit Singh Channi, also visited Ayodhya in April. Polling is scheduled to take place for 13 seats of Punjab on June 1.

Similarly, former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi who is contesting from Gaya as NDA alliance candidate visited Ayodhya temple on March 24. Interestingly, both the former CMs sought the blessings of the lord before filing their nomination papers.

The list of BJP candidates is longer with Union minister Smriti Irani deciding to offer prayers to the idol a day ahead of filing her nomination from Amethi on April 29. BJP’s contestant from Chandni Chowk Praveen Khandelwal, who replaced Harsh Vardhan, was in temple town on April 29 along with his family.

Having secured the BJP ticket from Kaiserganj after a lot of suspense, the son of controversial ex-WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Karan Sharan Singh, also visited Ayodhya in May. However, Karan chose to bow down before lord Hanuman at Hanuman Garhi during his visit. Along with his supporters, he filed the nomination the next day in Gonda district.

Ayodhya MP Lallu Singh paid obeisance to Ram Lalla on May 1 before reaching collectorate to submit the documents to contest from Faizabad seat while Azamgarh candidate and Bhojpuri actor-singer Dinesh Lal Yadav alias Nirahua, too, was in Ram temple on the same day.