The Haridwar parliamentary constituency is geographically divided into two regions — Ganga region and Trans Ganga region spreading over Haridwar and Dehradun districts.

The constituency which came into existence in the year 1971 comprises of 11 assembly segments of Haridwar district while Dharampur, Doiwala and Rishikesh Assembly constituencies of Dehradun district also form part of this constituency.

This time BJP has reposed faith in sitting MP and former chief minister Ramesh Pokhariyal ‘Nishank’ from here while Congress has fielded Ambrish Kumar. Riding on the support of fellow voters of Saini community and traditional Dalit and Muslim vote banks of BSP, its candidate, Antariksh Saini is striving hard to make the contest triangular.

Interestingly, the Samajwadi Party whose candidate Rajendra Singh Badi had won from here in the Lok Sabha elections of 1999 has not fielded its candidate in support of the BSP. Many issues confront the contesting political parties and their candidates while making their agendas for the polls.

The long pending problem of bridge construction over Rawasan River where students have to cross the river to go to school, is still not over.

In the city area also road works are pending since long and the frustration of people struggling with road, electricity and water problems is brimming over.

The region beyond Ganga has villages where members of minority community are in considerable in numbers. 

While congress leaders have spent most of their time in canvassing among the people of this region, the BJP took the benefit of situation by garnering support among the electorate of Ganga region.

In the last Assembly polls it swept to victory in eight out of 11 seats in this region. The voters of Ganga region, who are mainly BJP supporters, did not support Harish Rawat in the assembly elections of 2017 as he was tagged as the one who is more inclined towards minorities. It appears that the Congress contestant Ambrish Kumar has strong hold in Jwalapur and Ranipur areas but with the vast Ganga region still under the sway of BJP task is cut out in front of him to make inroads into BJP’s vote bank.  One political analyst said, “Modi wave has again gathered momentum after his latest ‘Shakti’ mission in the space, even as the Congress party is strongly opposing the PM for being a failure in all fronts.’’ .

A glance at the 2017 Assembly polls result also indicate that the split of Muslim votes had led to the downfall of Congress in the area. Minority vote bank has always played a key role in determination of the winning party here.

Traditionally Muslims are believed to be Congress supporters but in past few years Muslim vote bank has not got polarised towards Congress as it has remained divided over different issues. Especially in Kaliyar, Bhagwanpur, Jwalapur, Khanpur,  Laksar , Manglaur and Haridwar rural seats where division of Muslim voters have been observed on account of perennial problems of development.

Minority vote is clearly divided amongst Congress, BSP and independent contestants in Jwalapur area. Same position exists in Prian Kalliyar assembly seat where Muslims are divided among Congress, BSP and independent contestants. In Bhagwanpur area a section of minority vote bank favour BJP due to personal relations with BJP legislator Swami Yateeshwaranand.

The Haridwar rural seat had earlier proved a thorny bed for the Congress leader Harish Rawat who in order to present himself as the leader of masses contested from Haridwar rural seat in 2017 Assembly polls. He had then relied on the Muslim and Dalit vote bank but it backfired and he lost the elections.