Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi on Thursday to mark 'Good Governance Day'.

PM is scheduled to attend a number of programmes on the occasion of the birthday of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Before leaving for Varanasi, Modi visited Vajpayee's home to greet the leader on his 90th birthday.

Here are the highlights:

My heartiest congratulations to Atalji on his birthday.
Today is the birthday of 'Mahamana' Madan Mohan Malviya and of Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji. I pay my respects to them.
Today is December 25. I convey my Christmas greetings to everyone.
I am going to nominate more people to the Swachh Bharat campaign, both organisations and personalities, like Nagaland Governor Ashwani Kumar, Dr Kiran Bedi, Sonal Mansingh, Kapil Sharma, Saurav Ganguly, and Aroon Purie.
People across the country have appreciated the Swachh Bharat campaign.
When I had come here in November, we had promised to clean this place up. The civic body and the government have taken this programme seriously. We can see the difference. The (Assi) Ghat is looking cleaner.
PM Modi thanks those involved in the cleaning up of the River Ganga.
PM Modi addresses the gathering at Varanasi's Assi Ghat.
PM Modi inspects progress of drive to clean up the River Ganga at Varanasi's Assi Ghat.

Narendra Modi pays floral tributes to the statue of freedom fighter and Benaras Hindu University (BHU) founder Madan Mohan Malviya. The Centre had confirmed yesterday that it would confer the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, upon Malviya.

All MPs of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which Modi had steered to a comprehensive victory in the general elections earlier this year, have been asked to be in their respective Parliamentary constituencies for 'Sushasan Diwas' and the Prime Minister through his own visit has sought to lead by example.

The Prime Minister's aircraft landed at the Babatpur airport on the outskirts of the city at around noon where he was received by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and state minister Ahmed Hasan, according to airport director S K Malik.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani, Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha, MoS for Culture Mahesh Sharma and state BJP president Laxmikant Bajpai have been camping in the city since Wednesday night.

Modi is scheduled to visit Banaras Hindu University, founded by Pandit Mohan Malaviya whose name was announced yesterday for conferment of the highest civilian honour the Bharat Ratna.

Significantly, today is also the 153rd birth anniversary of the renowned educationist.

The PM will also inaugurate an Inter-University Centre for Teachers? Education inside the BHU premises.

The Prime Minister will also visit the Diesel Locomotive Works on the outskirts of the city where he will dedicate to the nation a modern, air-conditioned passenger train engine and inaugurate a project for expansion of the DLW.

The Prime Minister is likely to return this evening.