Lok Sabha Election Phase 2: Arun Govil Vs Sunita Verma in Riveting Meerut Contest

The BJP enjoyed success in the largest state of the country in 2014 and 2019, but their seat tally decreased from 72 to 62 out of 80 seats. To make up for these losses, the party is determined, particularly aiming to achieve the 370-seat target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the 2019 elections, the Samajwadi Party, in alliance with the Congress, partnered with Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party, winning a total of 15 seats.

However, they did not secure the Meerut constituency, where the BJP’s two-time sitting MP Rajendra Agarwal emerged victorious. Despite his consistent victories, Agarwal’s margins are gradually becoming narrower. With the BJP’s pursuit of the 370-seat target, they have chosen to replace Agarwal, hoping to leverage the enthusiasm surrounding the Ayodhya Ram temple to propel Mr. Govil to victory.

However, the SP’s choice of candidate has posed challenges, given that Dalits and Muslims make up around 50% of the constituency. Initially, the SP selected Bhanu Pratap Singh, a Supreme Court lawyer and outsider, to contest the seat, which raised concerns and led to protests from the local party cadre. Following this, Sardhana MLA Atul Pradhan was chosen, but his ticket was swiftly given to Sunita Verma, the former Mayor of Meerut.

Her husband Yogesh Verma, a former MLA of the Samajwadi Party, is well-known in the constituency. The upcoming contest will be triangular, as the BSP will be fielding Devvrat Tyagi, leveraging caste considerations that are perennial to the state.