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

The BJP has historically dominated the largest and most crucial state in India, winning 72 seats in 2014 and 62 seats in 2019. However, the party is now determined to regain its losses and achieve the 370-seat target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the 2019 elections, the Samajwadi Party, in alliance with the Congress, had partnered with Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party and won 15 seats.

Notably, the city of Meerut was not among their victories, with the BJP’s Rajendra Agarwal emerging as the winner. Although Agarwal’s winning margins have been decreasing over time, the BJP aims to maintain momentum by replacing him with a new candidate, hoping to capitalize on the enthusiasm surrounding the Ayodhya Ram temple. The SP’s choice of candidate has added complexity to the race, as the constituency consists of a significant population of Dalits and Muslims.

Initially, the SP selected Supreme Court lawyer Bhanu Pratap Singh as its candidate, but due to protests from the party’s local cadre, the candidate was changed to Sunita Verma, the former Mayor of Meerut, and wife of a well-known former Samajwadi Party MLA. The upcoming election is expected to be a triangular contest, with the BSP also fielding a candidate, Devvrat Tyagi, to appeal to caste considerations prevalent in the state.