In ‘tiger country’ Pilibhit, a poll battle shapes up sans Gandhis after decades

Located just off the Shivaliks, Pilibhit is a predominantly agricultural constituency where tractors dominate the roads more than any other vehicle, with wheat, rice and sugarcane grown in turns. With large swathes of forests that encompass the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, one notices machans (raised platforms made of jute and bamboo) in every field, indicative of the dangers farmers face daily, not just from the menace of stray cattle but also tigers that follow them out of their jungle lair.

Along the highways, billboards prominently advertise institutes that assist the youth to get study visas or clear other competitive exams to emigrate abroad, reflecting the eagerness of the youth in the constituency to move out of here.

Since 1996, Pilibhit has been continuously represented by the other branch of the Gandhi family, with Union Minister Maneka Gandhi and her son Varun turning it into their pocket borough. But with the BJP deciding against fielding Varun, the incumbent MP, Pilibhit is set for a high-stakes contest between two candidates who are new to the constituency.

Vote shares in Pilibhit:

Note: BSP and SP were in alliance 2019, Congress did not contest. (Source: Election Commission)

The BJP has fielded PWD Minister Jitin Prasada, who is from neighbouring Shahjahanpur and is seeking votes as “Modi ka doot (Modi’s messenger)”, vouching for Narendra Modi’s blessings and citing the prime minister’s recent rally there. Against him is the Samajwadi Party’s (SP’s) Bhagwat Saran Gangwar who is from nearby Bareilly district. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav launched his poll campaign from Pilibhit on Friday, hoping to give the former state minister a boost in an election that hinges to a large degree on local issues and caste equations.

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