Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the holy dip at the Mahakumbh on Wednesday as Assembly elections were held in Delhi and the Milkipur seat in Uttar Pradesh that is part of Ayodhya where the BJP had faced defeat in the Lok Sabha polls last year despite the Ram temple blitz.

Wearing a red jacket, navy blue track pants and sky blue muffler and strings of rudraksh beads around his neck and wrists, the Prime Minister took the dip at the VVIP Ghat at the Sangam, with images and videos soon flooding the conventional media and social media.

Before that he performed Ganga Pujan, with Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath standing a few metres away. Devotees were stopped far away from the spot where Modi performed the rituals. A large number of BJP workers stood on boats deeper in the river and waved at Modi.

Later, the Prime Minister wrote on X: “Blessed to be at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. The Snan at the Sangam is a moment of divine connection, and like the crores of others who have taken part in it, I was also filled with a spirit of devotion. May Maa Ganga bless all with peace, wisdom, good health and harmony.”

A stampede at the Mahakumbh during Mauni Amavasya on January 29 had killed a large number of devotees.

Later on Wednesday, Modi took a boat ride in the Ganga along with Adityanath, videos of which the Prime Minister posted on social media.

Samajwadi Party and Congress leaders accused Modi of using religion to sway voters after the campaign period had ended, “as is his wont”.

“He is at the Mahakumbh because polling is going on in Delhi and Milkipur. It is his style of campaigning which doesn’t match the dignity of India’s Prime Minister,” said Dwijendra Tripathi, a Congress leader.

The BJP has been out of power in Delhi for 27 years. The Milkipur bypoll is a prestige fight for the BJP as it had lost the Faizabad-Ayodhya Lok Sabha seat despite Modi consecrating the Ram temple in January last year.