Ground Report: Why Arun Govil’s Fight In Meerut Has Become BJP’s Battle For Ram’s Honour

Meerut has emerged as that lone electoral pitch where the deity and devotee have acquired singularity in the voters’ perception.

On every dais that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prepares for its campaign, Arun Govil, the actor known for portraying Ram in ‘Ramayan’ the serial, commands the same unflinching attention and respect from the ‘viewer’ the way he did in the portrayal and performance.

Govil, BJP’s candidate for the 2024 Lok Sabha battle from Meerut-Hapur constituency and devotee of Ram, has become “the representative of Ram” outside Ayodhya. This time — electorally. 

Footwear Off, A New Dialogue On  

In the fervour for the Ram Janmabhoomi, Govil’s face, role and work, stood as visual placeholders for three-four generations during the late 1980s. 

At a safe distance from the dais at BJP’s campaigns, it is not hard to find young voters who assemble to have a glimpse of Govil, hurriedly taking off shoes and slippers before bowing down to Govil over a ‘pranam’. Women rush to perform aartis. Men surround him to touch his feet. Supporters blow the conch during his speeches.

A section of these attendees got introduced to Govil via the telecast of Ramayan during Covid-kaal. The shift is quick. The introduction recent. The convergence of three-four generations of the viewers of Ramayan, Ramanand Sagar’s iconic television serial on Doordarshan, isn’t a mere sub-chapter in BJP’s introduction to Govil in Modi’s battle. It is the backbone of Govil’s support. 

Govil’s return “to the city he belongs” in the year when Ram has returned to Ayodhya, is being seen as an endorsement “of Yogi’s good work and Modi’s untiring efforts for India”.   

Babulal, a voter from Meerut city, at Modi’s rally felt that “Arun Govil’s representation of Meerut in Parliament would be a blessing to the people of Meerut”.

He said, “He initiated the celebration of Ram in the media. His contribution is important to many generations now. The significant development is that Ram Mandir’s pran pratishtha in Ayodhya and Govil ji’s return to Meerut —these aspects are aligned with 2024.” 

Govil leads the campaign gatherings wearing a simple kurta-pyjama set. Yet, he generates nascently-effective appeal connecting the attendees with that one role of his life that eventually got moulded for a new role in 2024. 

In speeches, Govil can be seen attributing his decision of wanting to represent Meerut and working for Meerut to his presence at the pran pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya. 

The recurrent sentence spoken by several of the voters this writer spoke to in Meerut, at BJP’s campaign gatherings for workers and voters and Prime Minister Modi’s rally in Meerut was: “Ram has returned to Ayodhya, thanks to Modi-Yogi. Meerut is now preparing for the home coming of the man who celebrated Ram on screen.”  

In three weeks from Prime Minister Modi’s rally held in Modipuram, Meerut, a palpable transformation has taken place in the Meerut-Hapur constituency. For the BJP’s worker and supporters, PM Modi, the prime favourite candidate himself, and Yogi Adityanath, have become power placeholders that come second in perceived emotional “priorities”. 

Arun Govil comes third despite his mass appeal as the actor synonymous with Ram. Ram is above all for the workers of the party who have roots in the Jan Sangh emotion. 

BJP workers are restless to attain a high voting percentage on 26 April. It perhaps is a natural reaction to voting percentages in Western UP in the first phase of the poll. 

Prabodh Shastri, a party worker told this writer: “Yeh Arun Govil ji ka election hee nahin raha. Yeh Ram ki pratishtha ka election hai. We will do everything to attain a high voting percentage.” 

The Meerut Stage  

Making way for Govil is BJP’s experienced MP Rajendra Agarwal.

In 2019, with Haji Mohammad Yaqoob in fray, BJP’s Agarwal got a total of 586,184 votes (48.78 vote share). Yaqoob secured 581,455 votes (47.78 per cent vote share). Agarwal, among other leaders, takes a prominent place in Govil’s sabhas and speeches.

Govil said in a speech attended by this writer that Agarwal was already in alignment with his candidature and he did not have to convince him. Meerut mayor Harikant Ahluvalia, MLC Dharmendra Bharadwaj, senior BJP leader Somendra Tomar, are among local leaders who are actively contributing to his campaign.

The interesting part about Govil’s debut contest is that the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance and the Bahujan Samaj Party have fielded Hindu candidates. They are hoping to dent the BJP by keeping a Muslim candidate absent. Here is perhaps why. The Muslim population of Meerut is 36.05 per cent, at approximately 470,595 voters. The Hindu population is at 61.15 per cent. 

The BJP’s task would be to stave off this challenge. The Congress-SP candidate is Sunita Verma, whose influence on the Dalit-Muslim vote is well-known in Meerut.

The BJP workers and supporters meanwhile are confident of Govil’s win. Shastri adds: “The Dalit and Muslim vote will become divided between the SP-Congress alliance and the BSP.” The BSP has fielded Devvrat Tyagi. 

Prior to phase one, sections of the media reported that Rajputs and Tyagis were upset with the BJP. Will the perceived “narazgi” of the Tyagis and Rajputs affect the BJP? Shastri adds: “No. The communities at large are supporting the BJP.”

Only For Jayant — One Coin, Two Sides 

Farmers supporting the BJP-RLD (Rashtriya Lok Dal) alliance are confident that this development will set the flow of pachhwa — the wind from western UP — eventually becoming a storm and flowing towards the east. “Abke Meerut se hee pachhwa chalegi (the wind of change from western UP will set itself in Meerut).”

The supporters of RLD seemed divided in their stance towards the RLD's alliance with the BJP for 2024.

While there was a section of voters that seemed miffed with Jayant Chaudhary regarding his decision for an alliance with the BJP, there were clearly other sections wearing RLD caps that were jubilant. The latter were all praises for the governance of Yogi Adityanath in UP and PM Modi at the Centre. 

Improvement in electricity supply since 2018 (as reported by this writer in 2018 here) is the prime reason. “Chaubees ghante bijli hai. Jis din se yeh sarkar (Yogi Government) aayi hai sab andar sone lage (people have been sleeping inside their homes since the government came to power — unlike the times when they had to sleep outside).

For irrigation of the fields and for the convenience of farmers, electricity supply is available from morning till the evening. During the previous governments, we would have to wake up in the middle of the night for land irrigation.”

The section favouring the BJP said that Chaudhary delayed the alliance with the BJP. He should have thought about it earlier. “Der aaye, dusrust aaye, bahut khushi hai.” Rajendra, a farmer even sang these lines for Yogi-Modi: “Modi ji to Krishan kanaiya, Shah ji hain Balram. Mharre Modi ji to Jai Shri Ram, Jai Shri Ram.” 

On the other hand, the section opposing Chaudhary’s move believes that the RLD could have played a role in defeating the BJP on 16-18 seats in Western UP. 

RLD supporters told this writer: “Seat bhi chaar sau paar, aur ganna bhi chaar sau paar.” Meaning that the sugarcane prices per quintal will go up to 400 just as the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) tally will cross 400.

They added: “Yogi ji is doing excellent work when it comes to electricity. Kisan Samman Nidhi, Ujwaala Yojana, Ayushman Card and free ration and the cap on gundagardi — these are the winners of the Modi-Yogi partnership for pro-alliance RLD supporters. UP is a fear-free state. “Women can move freely now. Kisee ki koi himmat nahin ki kuchh kare.” 

‘Ram’ For Yogi-Modi ‘Ramrajya’

In old parts of the city, banners dedicated to the celebration of Ram Navmi feature a new essential — the image of the devpratima of Ramlalla in Ayodhya sculpted by Arun Yogiraj.

In Budhana Gate, which is home to an iconic Hanuman mandir, this writer could see a visible shift from the 1980s, when the area would witness communal riots, to the present, into the second term of Yogi Adityanath and PM Modi, when saffron flags and khadi clearly outshine as identity markers of a new era and inherent changes. 

Ram has returned to Meerut after vanvas, believes Pramod Kumar, a voter.

“Modi has made efforts that no one else has in politics. Whether the abrogation of Article 370 or the issue of Ram Mandir, its building and the pran pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya, the security of women, and the welfare schemes for the public begun by Modi — these things have never happened before. Had these steps been taken by politicians earlier, Modi would have not come to power in Hindustan.” 

The loudest sentiment at Modi's rally was: “Women can move freely now. None has the guts to do anything wrong because he will find Yamraj standing at the next crossing.”

The top four factors that emerged at the PM rally: One — “bhrashtachar samapti ki ore hai (corruption is ending)". Two. Sadkon ka jaal bichhaya ja raha hai (the government is working intensely on road infrastructure). Three. “Chori chakari gundagardi samapti ki ore hain”. Four. There is an improvement in employment.

Sushil Kumar Sharma, a voter from Meerut city said that during the previous regimes, the state police did not feel safe.

“Police itself wasn’t safe. Aur to kaun surkashit honge, prashasan hee surakshit nahin thha. Sab maamla khatam thaa (it was all plummeting).” Another voter supporting his view said: “Now the situation is such that anyone who tries to mess with law and order meets Yamraj at the next chauraha (crossing).”

Dhan Kumar Saini, a BJP worker told this writer: “BJP was already going strong. Now the alliance is in place, we are stronger. We will support the RLD where it is in fight. Our opponents were stronger when the RLD was supporting them. This time, we hope that the opposition becomes weaker. We hope to win all seats in western UP. The wave will be stronger this time.”

Saini added that BJP workers would reach out to RLD supporters and workers who were upset with the forming of the alliance.

Krishan Pal from Baghpat generously let out his anger.

He said, “BJP has done nothing for the farmers. We will wait for the BJP’s stance on farming. If it doesn't do anything for the farmers, will we teach the BJP a lesson. We are in this alliance only because of Jayant, and because we support Jayant.”

He added that if Jayant went to Pakistan, they would follow him there.

Jagbiri Teovatia, a woman voter from Meerut city told this author that the people of Meerut are voting for three emotions this time.

“Modi ji’s women-centric  welfare schemes, his attention to the youth and development and he himself is the first emotion. The second is the stellar work by Yogi Adityanath in UP and the third is the heartfelt enthusiasm for Arun Govil as a BJP candidate. Log mann se Arun Govil ji ke saath hain.” 

Transformation brought by the welfare schemes of PM Modi makes Asha Rastogi a strong supporter of the BJP. She told this author that she now lives in a pucca house with her family, thanks to the PM Awas Yojana and leads a life of health and hygiene.

“You cannot imagine what conditions we were living in when we did not have a pucca house. Rains used to leave us in slush and grime. On top of that bathing, cleaning, cooking — all used to happen in a cramped space. We had no access to toilets. My family spent years living in sordid conditions and inconvenience. What has Modi not done for us?"

Several women voters this writer met mentioned Ujjwala Yojana and the improving LPG service for the middle class as a big relief.

“While there are women whose lives have seen transformation under the Ujjwala Yojana, middle class women like us have been benefitted by the smooth and quick supply under the Modi government. Under other governments, there were times when one would be left without a cylinder for 3-4 days.” 

Leading And Being Led 

Local leaders in the five Meerut Vidhan Sabhas aimed for 90 per cent voter turnout at each booth and an exceptional winning margin.

The language spoken at the gatherings held under the different Vidhan Sabhas was meant to build an introductory conversation between Govil and the “devtulya karyakarta”.

Even though these conversations were largely one sided, they resulted in a compact dialogue between Govil and the party workers. While senior leaders, former and current MLAs and MP summarise the achievements of the Modi government in Meerut and nationally, at the Vidhan Sabhas and culturally, Govil simply listens.

There is a lot in politics that is performative. Govil is meticulously but subtly aligning with Modi’s style for that performative. Once the microphone is passed on to Govil, he builds an intimate conversation — in less and measured words, where he keeps Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath, central and above himself. 

Govil’s campaign is cautious enough to prioritise the karyakarta and the voter. He says that he will be led by the people of Meerut and the workers of the BJP and ensure the infrastructural, cultural and multi-dimensional upliftment of Meerut. 

Govil, interestingly, doesn’t bypass the local leaders and workers and their role in making him win. He gently but firmly tells them that they themselves will make his win possible. Govil keeps it subtle but honest, just as his entry in politics.

This report is part of Swarajya's 50 Ground Stories Project - an attempt to throw light on themes and topics that are often overlooked or looked down. You can support this initiative by sponsoring as little as ₹2999. Click here for more details.