Pilibhit

With a total voter population of 17.5 lakh voters, Pilibhit is an important political constituency in UP. It is a bastion of mother-son duo Maneka and Feroze Varun Gandhi since 1996. While Varun Gandhi is the current MP from the seat, the leader has had a falling out with the top brass of the party leadership and has not been granted a ticket this time. He is being replaced by Jitin Prasada. In 2019, he defeated Hemraj Verma of the SP by a margin of about 2.5 lakh votes. Apart from the BJP, the SP is a prominent party in the seat and leans on the 26% Muslim vote bank. Out of the five assembly seats, four are held by BJP while one is held by the SP.<br><br>Pilibhit may pose a challenge for the BJP which has invited Varun Gandhi to participate in the campaign despite being denied a ticket. Gandhi has penned a heartfelt letter to his constituents, saying that his door will remain open for the residents of Pilibhit. The two-time MP said, "The relationship between Pilibhit and me is one of love and trust... which is far above any political multiplication. I was, am, and will be yours." It will be an uphill task for the new candidate to replace Gandhi, and a lot is hinged on whether or not Gandhi supports the party’s campaign efforts. <br><br>It remains uncertain whether Mr. Gandhi will contest from another constituency in this election or if he will continue his affiliation with the BJP. Nevertheless, he has received an invitation from the opposition - the Congress party.<br><br>Jitin Prasad is a big name in the state. A son of senior Congress leader Jitendra Prasad and grandson of renowned Congress leader Jyoti Prasad, he is well-regarded in Shahjahanpur, Lakhimpur, and Sitapur for his focus on development. He is currently a member of the legislative council and a minister in the Yogi cabinet. However, he is new to Pilibhit and is up against Varun Gandhi’s legacy. It remains to be seen how the BJP navigates this situation and whether it can retain the seat without the mother-son duo at centrestage.<br><br>As a largely rural seat, farmers’ issues are of primary importance in Pilibhit. Farmers account for almost 9 lakh votes in this seat and their demand is a minimum support price (MSP) guarantee for sugarcane and vegetable farmers. Disgruntled with the government, the farmer community may swing the election against the BJP. Conflict with tigers is another issue as the local population faces a safety hazard even as the administration works towards tiger conservation. Tigers can hide easily in sugarcane fields, which are like their natural homes. But sometimes, tigers attack farmers working there. So, the government is running a strong campaign to convince sugarcane farmers to switch to other crops that are good for the environment and can make them just as much money.