Jammu, Feb 2 (PTI) Ahead of the Assembly elections, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday visited Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

The cricketer-turned-politician reached base camp Katra in the afternoon and straightway flew to the 'Bhawan' (sanctum sanctorum) to offer prayers at the revered shrine, they said.

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The officials said Sidhu is likely to stay for the night at the shrine to participate in the morning prayers before returning to his state on Thursday.

“Warmth, love and affection at the heavenly abode is heart rendering…,” the Congress leader wrote on his Twitter handle, sharing a video of some devotees taking selfies with him.

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In another tweet, Sidhu wrote “On my way to Mata Vaishno Devi…The eternal grace of the divine mother has always protected me on this path of Dharma…At her lotus feet for blessings…Dushtaan da vinaash kr, Punjab da Kalyaan kar…Sach Dharam di sathapana kr…”

Punjab will go to the polls on February 20.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)