Lucknow, April 9 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address an election rally in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit on Tuesday.

This will be his first election rally in Pilibhit as the Prime Minister.

The BJP has fielded Uttar Pradesh Minister Jitin Prasada, who joined the party in 2021, from the Pilibhit Lok Sabha seat, replacing sitting MP Varun Gandhi who won the seat with 59.34 per cent votes in 2019.

Pilibhit BJP chief Sanjiv Pratap Singh said, "We are all set to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Pilibhit and people are looking forward to hearing him. This will be his first rally here after assuming the office."

Varun Gandhi has maintained a studied silence on his next move after he was denied a ticket. He has kept himself away from the campaign -- neither did he accompany the BJP candidate during the filing of his nomination papers, nor has he attended any programme, including the one addressed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on April 2.

BJP state vice president Vijay Pathak said, "The party has changed its candidates on many seats. It is the 'lotus' (party symbol) that is contesting on all seats. The people have been with the BJP earlier and they are with the BJP even now."

Varun Gandhi and his mother Maneka Gandhi have represented the constituency consistently since 1996.

The Samajwadi Party (SP), which is contesting the 2024 elections in alliance with the Congress, has fielded Bhagwat Sharan Gangwar from the seat.

The BSP, on the other hand, announced Anis Ahmed Khan alias Phool Babu as its candidate from Pilibhit.

The polling in Pilibhit is slated for April 19.