Maneka Gandhi returns to Pilibhit — her bastion — to reap the political harvest her son Varun Gandhi had sown in the last five years and the division of Muslim votes might make it easy for her to sail through this battle of ballots.
Since 1989, Maneka Gandhi has been winning from this seat. She contested with the banner of different political parties and had emerged victorious everytime. First time she won as an Independent in 1989 and since 1994, when she joined the BJP, she has won from this seat four times in a row.
This is the only constituency that has sent a woman to lok Sabha for more than five times.Meanwhile, Varun Gandhi had won from Pilibhit seat in 2009 lok Sabha elections and Maneka contested from Aonla which she won by a razor-thin margin. But this time he has shifted to Sultanpur and his mother has taken his place as the BJP candidate from Pilibhit.
As per the records, Varun had spent the entire MPlAD funds for the development of the constituency and now it is up to his mother to reap the harvest. Despite this, the terai region of Pilibhit —known for its rich agriculture — has been striving for development, better medical, power and educational facilities. The issue of development may play an important role in the polling but the mother-son duo is sitting pretty here.
It has been 40 years, but there is no new Government Inter-college or degree college in Pilibhit. The students are forced to take admission in private colleges and pay high fees. Many of them quit further education due to financial constraints.
Interestingly, there is only one Women’s College to cater to the needs of the girls’ education. The situation of power is also not satisfactory. The demands of a new rail line and a railway crossing over-bridge are being raked since long; it has become a mere “political promise” which remains unfulfilled. People, especially the traders, are furious over the issue and might express their anger through their voting power.
Pilibhit, which is known for cane and rice production and flute industry, is lagging in terms of development. The Congress, however, has fielded party MlA from Bilaspur in Rampur district Sanjay Kapur from the seat, while the BSP has pitched former Minister Anees Ahmad Khan against her. Samajwadi Party’s Budhsen Verma and Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajeev Agarwal are also in the poll fray.
Four Assembly segments of Pilibhit city — Puranpur, Beesalpur and Barkhera — and one Assembly segment of Bareilly, Baheri, fall under this parliamentary constituency.A total of 16 lakh voters would exercise their franchise for Pilibhit lok Sabha seat where the caste factors may play a significant role too.
With Maneka Gandhi riding on the Modi wave, she is locked in a triangular contest with the BSP and SP with the latter losing the monopoly of Muslim votes this time conceds the grounds to BSP a little. As many as 3.5 lakh Scheduled Caste voters, four lakh Muslims, 2.75 lakh Kurmis and 2.25 lakh lodh farmers would decide the fate of Pilibhit lok Sabha seat, which is going to polls on April 17.