Lok Sabha elections 2024: Crucial second phase voting today in UP, all eyes on Meerut

BJP candidate Arun Govil campaigning

All eyes are on Meerut now, which goes to polls in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections today. The ruling party has thrown its full weight behind actor Arun Govil, who is contesting elections on a BJP ticket for the first time in Meerut constituency. The party is hoping that people make the Ram connect and vote for Govil - who played the role of lord Ram in the television series Ramayan - in large numbers.

The Meerut constituency is important and significant for the BJP, as it has sidelined its sitting parliamentarian Rajendra Agrawal to field fresh candidate Arun Govil. Though the actor-turned-politician has been able to pull in the crowds during campaigning and road shows, it is equally important to see what percentage of the crowd is influenced by the ‘Ram' quotient to vote for BJP.

Arun Govil played the role of Lord Ram in the TV series Ramayan

BJP leader Agrawal won the Meerut Lok Sabha seat three consecutive times, and local supporters are a little upset over the party's decision to field an actor because, in the history of Indian politics, actor-turned-politicians have always disappointed people.

Though people are having mixed reactions over the selection of Govil, a large chunk of the crowd felt that a seasoned politician who can develop the area is needed rather than an actor who people only want to visit for selfies. The general opinion is that people always lament after voting for an actor-turned-politician.

In a bid to make a landslide victory in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, the BJP inaugurated the Ram temple in Ayodhya and promoted it on a grand scale to use as a poll plank to decimate the Opposition.

Heavyweights from the saffron brigade, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, among others, visited the constituency to campaign. Interestingly, Adityanath visited the constituency at least five times in the past few days for campaigning.

The saffron brigade knows the religious nerves of the local residents of Meerut, where they invited key characters of Ramayan, including Dipika Chikhlia (who played the role of Sita) and Sunil Lahri (Laxman), to campaign for Govil. Since the political campaign reminded locals of Ramayan, the BJP is making all efforts to influence and translate huge crowds into votes to win this important seat.

Though the BJP has been exuding confidence towards a cracking victory in the constituency, the saffron party is still cautious because the Opposition, including Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party's Mayawati has conducted massive campaigns and public meetings to cut its votes.

Phase-II of elections in UP

>> 91 candidates in the fray for eight Lok Sabha constituencies
>> These seats are Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Bulandshahr, Aligarh and Mathura
>> 81 male and 10 female candidates
>> 1,67,77,198 voters in total, including 90,26,051 male, 77,50,356 female and 791 third gender voters

About Meerut constituency
>> Eight candidates in fray
>> 20,00,530 voters in total, including 10,75,368 male; 9,25,022 female; and 140 third gender voters

2 lakh
Approx no of voters in Meerut

8
No of candidates in fray for Meerut