Aligarh, April 24: Aligarh, one of Uttar Pradesh's 80 Lok Sabha constituencies is all set to vote on April 26, the second phase of the general elections. The Aligarh constituency comprises the districts of Aligarh, Etah, Kasganj and Hathras with a total of 17 assembly seats. Khair, Baroli, Atroli, Kol and Aligarh city are assembly segments in the Aligarh parliamentary constituency.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking to retain the seat for the third consecutive time while the Samajwadi Party (SP) is throwing a formidable challenge for the ruling party. BJP has fielded incumbent MP Satish Gautam for the third time who will take on Samajwadi Party's Bijendra Singh. Gautam Buddha Nagar Lok Sabha Election 2024: BJP’s Incumbent MP Mahesh Sharma To Face SP and BSP Challenge in This Constituency.

The Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) has fielded Hitendra Upadhyay aka Bunty, a former BJP leader, for the Aligarh Lok Sabha seat. In 2014, Gautam defeated BSP's Arvind Kumar Singh by 2.9 lakh votes, while in 2019, he triumphed over BSP's Ajeet Balyan, securing 6.6 votes against Balyan's 4.3 lakh.

Meanwhile, an independent candidate, Pandit Keshav Dev, made a distinctive statement during his campaign by wearing a garland of slippers around his neck. Embracing his allocated poll symbol, a pair of slippers, Keshav was seen proudly adorning a white turban as he was accompanied by his supporters.

The parliamentary seat had a voter turnout of 61.68 per cent in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 1: From Jatin Prasada in Pilibhit to Imran Masood in Saharanpur, List of Key Candidates and Constituencies in Uttar Pradesh.

In Aligarh, views on this Lok Sabha election seem to vary, with some expressing their support for the incumbent government while others seeking a change of guard. Mohammad Salim, a resident hailed the ruling BJP and wished for the party forming the government once again at the Centre.

"I have witnessed several governments in my lifetime, but the ruling one has done a lot for the welfare of the people in the last 10 years. We have free ration and you will find that electricity is available 24X7 for us. They (BJP) have done great work in its tenure. I want the return of the Modi government," he said. Another resident while listing the works done in the last ten years said the schemes and initiatives initiated by the central government have been proved beneficial for the people of the parliamentary constituency.

"In the last 10 years, our MP has done a lot of developmental works for the constituency. There was a saying - the one with slippers cannot travel by aeroplane, now we have all those facilities available for us. Beautification of the railway station has been done. In our Aligarh, defence corridor was also built. As far as the farmers are concerned, electricity and other basic needs have also been considered. The Kisan Samman Nidhi is also coming into our accounts on time. Other schemes of the Centre such as Ujjawala Yojana have also been proved beneficial for us," he said.

However, for several, crucial issues like infrastructure, communal harmony and unemployment dominate discussions. Pinku, a resident said that the 'controversial statements' given by the sitting MP of Aligarh often create disturbance for the harmony in the constituency which has a sizable number of Muslim population. According to the 2011 Census, Islam is the second-most popular religion in Aligarh city, a lock-making hub in western Uttar Pradesh, with over 40 per cent of people following it.

"The MP Saheb (Satish Gautam) has done nothing and this is the reason that he is facing protest by the people wherever he is going to seek votes. Irrespective of caste and religion, people are against him. He often gives controversial statements which, somehow affect the harmony. I am going to vote for development and education," he said. Kamaluddin, another resident echoed a similar sentiment and expressed his hope for further development for Aligarh's constituency.

"Aligarh MP has done nothing for the development of the constituency. We expect progress for our Lok Sabha from the government whichever will be formed," he said. For the farmers of Aligarh, Satha Sugar Mill which has been closed for years also has come up as one of the most prominent poll issues.

"As I belong to a farmer family, I hope that the sugar mill that has remained closed for years will get reopened," Kamaluddin added.

Another resident, Harendra Pal Singh said, "I did not find any change in the last 10 years. People, here are worried about their basic needs. Now, we have lots of expectations for the upcoming five years. I would like to see a change in the government. I am a farmer and as a cultivator, our basic need is MSP. They promised for this but it was not fulfilled. We also want the upgradation of the Satha Sugar Mill."

"We really wish that the new MP, whoever is elected, will implement all the schemes launched by the Centre," another added. Campaigning by the political parties appears subdued, with parties targeting specific demographics. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a fresh attack on the Congress on its claim that the PM had lied about their manifesto and said that if the Congress forms govt, it will "confiscate property and money of the people and even take away 'mangalsutra' and jewellery of women ('streedhan').

"Today, I must warn the people of Aligarh and the nation about the dangerous intentions of Congress and 'INDI Alliance', the PM said. Hitting back his remark, Akhilesh Yadav, the chief of Samajwadi Party (SP) which is going to polls in alliance with the Congress in the state, said that the trends of election results are visible from the BJP leaders' speeches.

Addressing a rally in support of the INDIA bloc candidates of Aligarh and Hathras, Yadav said, "Although the election trends come later, now you must have heard the speech of the people of Delhi (PM) and the people of Lucknow (CM). The trends of the election results are visible in the speeches of those who are about to go out of power."

With employment emerging as a key electoral issue, political candidates are aiming to address these concerns. SP candidate Bijendra Singh has highlighted rising unemployment and the need for Hindu-Muslim unity in his campaign. On the other hand, incumbent MP Satish Gautam of the BJP has also promised to prioritize job creation.