Bulandshahr (Uttar Pradesh), April 1 (IANS): Bulandshahr has given three chief ministers to Uttar Pradesh -- Banarasi Das, Kalyan Singh and Ram Prakash Gupta -- and this is what makes it politically important and relevant.
Yet, despite its profile, Bulandshahr elections have always been low-key and subdued.
Bulandshahr, known for its proximity to Delhi, has earned global recognition for its pottery from Khurja town.
The constituency also has pilgrimage sites dating back to the Mahabharata period.
However, efforts of the BJP governments at the Centre and in UP, have enhanced the status of Bulandshahr in recent years.
The impact of the Jewar Airport being built in Gautam Buddha Nagar, adjacent to Bulandshahr, is beginning to be felt here too.
The BJP first tasted victory here in 1991 and sent Chhatrapal Singh to Parliament for four consecutive times.
In 2004, Kalyan Singh won the parliamentary polls from here and Dr Bhola Singh won the seat in 2014 and 2019. He is again the BJP candidate from Bulandshahr in 2024.
There is no denying the fact that former chief minister late Kalyan Singh wielded considerable influence on the Bulandshahr seat.
After the delimitation in 2009, Bulandshahr seat was reserved for the Scheduled Castes.
In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, SP candidate Kamlesh Valmiki won the seat because of Kalyan Singh’s support.
Kalyan Singh was upset with the BJP and resigned from the party to campaign for the SP in 2009.
BJP candidate Ashok Pradhan had to face defeat because of strong opposition from Kalyan Singh.
The Bulandshahr Lok Sabha seat has five assembly constituencies -- Bulandshahr, Syana, Dibai, Shikarpur and Anupshahr -- and all of them are held by the BJP at present.
The two assembly constituencies of the district, Khurja and Sikandrabad, are included in the Gautam Buddha Nagar Lok Sabha seat.
With a majority of OBC voters in Bulandshahr, the constituency plays a key role in the caste politics of Uttar Pradesh.
There are about 3.5 lakh Lodhis, Brahmin-2 lakh, Rajput-1.50 lakh, Jat-2 lakh, Scheduled Caste-3.50 lakh, Other Backward Class-3 lakh and Muslim -3 lakh.
The combination of Lodhi, Backward and Scheduled Caste voters opens the doors to victory for the candidates on Bulandshahr reserved seat.
BJP candidate Bhola Singh says, “Bulandshahr has grown in the past 10 years. The upcoming Jewar airport will make the district a much sought-after destination. The plans to advance the Avantika Corridor will improve the tourist potential of the area.”
He said that in the coming months, there is a proposal to build a ring road and free the city from traffic jams. A Metro project and train service from Bulandshahr to Delhi are also on the anvil, he added.