It’s a direct fight between BJP’s Sanjeev Balyan and SP’s Harendra Singh Malik.
Despite an attempt by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to set up a triangular fight in Muzaffarnagar constituency, the sugar belt’s nerve centre in western Uttar Pradesh, the direct fight here is between the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) sitting MP and Union minister Sanjeev Balyan and Samajwadi Party’s (SP’s) Harendra Singh Malik. BSP’s Dara Singh Prajapati is trying to give the other two contestants a run for their money, promising to fight corruption and improve the level of education among the downtrodden.
In this agrarian Jat belt, Muslims tend to hold sway in pockets spread across five Assembly constituencies under the Lok Sabha seat. Out of the five Assembly seats, two each are held by RLD and SP, and one by the BJP. Budhana (RLD), Charthawal (SP), Khatauli (RLD), Muzaffarnagar (BJP) and Sardhana (SP) are the Assembly seats.
In Muzaffarnagar town, the jaggery capital of the country, residents claim that the law and order situation has improved over the years. They credit the BJP-led state government and the Central government for it. Construction of the Ram Temple also appears to be resonating among the voters. Most electors said voting will be in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a positive sign for Balyan who is eyeing a hat-trick on the seat.
However, in pockets dominated by SP supporters, issues like paper leak and joblessness are worrying voters.
Sitting MP from Muzaffarnagar, Balyan sounds confident of a win. “It’s not an election but a tornado in favour of the BJP. The BJP-RLD tie-up has turned around the electoral arithmetic to give a winning edge to us,” Balyan, a veterinarian, told reporters soon after filing his nomination papers. After he was re-nominated by the BJP, he visited Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait faction) chief Naresh Tikait, who also heads the Balyan khap.
In 2019, Balyan won 569,535 votes and beat RLD’s stalwart Ajit Singh by a margin of 3,782 votes. In 2014, Balyan had won the Muzaffarnagar seat by beating BSP’s Kadir Rana by a margin of 398,410 votes.
SP candidate Harendra Singh Malik, an ex-MP, said the BJP’s state government has disrespected local leaders and promised to restore the prestige of village level leaders or those contesting cooperative elections. “We follow the teachings of Chaudhary Charan Singh and we are here to serve the people,” he told The Sunday Guardian.
Talking about the BJP and RLD alliance in the coming election, Malik, himself a Jat, said followers of Chaudhary Charan Singh would back him to defeat the BJP.
“Most of our supporters are farmers. There is no reaction from the Prime Minister on the protesting farmers sitting on the border of Haryana,” he told The Sunday Guardian, while raising the issue of alleged ill-treatment of women Jat wrestlers during their protest at Jantar Mantar.
To save democracy, usher in development and generate jobs for youth, people should support us, said Malik.
BSP’s Prajapati said he will get support from all communities, not just from the under-privileged. He is hoping to repeat his party colleague Kadir Rana’s win from the seat in 2009.
Nearly 14.2% of the population in the constituency belongs to the Scheduled Castes and 40% are Muslim. Any possible division in Jat votes—out of a total 18 lakh or 18% of the population—may decide who the winner would be. Thakurs and Gujjars also constitute 10% of the population each.