Meerut Lok Sabha election: The Meerut parliamentary constituency in Western Uttar Pradesh is all set to go to polls in the second phase on April 26. Meerut comprises five Vidhan Sabha or legislative assembly segments. These are Kithore, Meerut Cantonment, Meerut, Meerut South and Hapur (SC).
The seat will see a triangular contest between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). In Meerut, the BJP has gone for star power as it has fielded Ramayan actor Arun Govil against BSP's Devvrat Kumar Tyagi and SP's Sunita Verma.
Arun Govil's campaign promises
To ensure a successful political debut, Govil has made a series of promises to voters. These include an improvement in overall infrastructure of Meerut including roads, sanitation and public facilities. He has also promised more opportunities for the youth by way of promoting skill development programs, vocational training and entrepreneurship initiatives.
To appeal to the farming community in the constituency, Arun Govil has assured them of providing better crop prices and ensuring water availability. Other promises by the BJP candidate include ensuring access to quality medical services, promoting preventive health measures, increased measures for safety of women and improvement in educational institutions.
BJP bastion since 2014
The constituency, which has also been central to the 1857 Independence struggle, has been a BJP bastion since the last two general elections. In both the elections, BJP's Rajendra Agarwal has secured massive victories against the BSP and the SP, respectively.
In 2019, Rajendra Agarwal won the seat against BSP's Haji Mohammad Yakub and Congress' Harendra Agarwal. Rajendra Agarwal won from Meerut by more than 5.86 lakh votes and a vote share of 48.2 per cent.
Before this, in 2014, Agarwal won the seat by a total of over 5.32 lakh votes and a vote share of 47.9 per cent. BSP's Mohd. Shahid Akhlak was a distant second in this second contest with more than 3 lakh votes.
Meerut's electoral dynamics before 2014
Before 2014, the electoral dynamics of Meerut have evolved from the initial domination of the Congress to the Socialist Party, Janata Party and the BJP for the first time in 1996 in the wake of the Ram Janmabhoomi Movement. After this, the constituency went back to Congress and then to BSP.
Meerut political climate
Traditionally, Meerut has been a stronghold of the Jat community in Western Uttar Pradesh. It has witnessed frequent tensions and clashes between various communities in the past. As per the 2011 Census of India, the state has a Hindu population of 63.40 per cent and a Muslim population of 34.43 per cent.