On The Ground In Saharanpur, Where This BJP Candidate Aims To Score A Second Victory Over Imran Masood Of ‘Boti-Boti’ Infamy 

A gentle mention of 'maati' – soil – manages to enrage Brijpal Prajapati. He comes from the Prajapati community that preserves the heritage of making earthen pots, lamps and diyas from clay. For him, Yogi Adityanath is the political watermark separating dignity and disgruntlement. 

'Maati' reminds him of his father, and grandfather, their hardships and two prominent scenarios associated with heritage. Which ones? He clenches his fists in anger and yells out two words: “utpeedan” and “gundargardi.”

“Yogi jeeta rehwe bas” (may Yogi Adityanath live long).” “Hamara to papa mar gaya, dada mar gaya, kisi ne jo jikr kara ho. Maati ka koi rasta nahin kara kisi ne bhi. Yogi Adityanath ki taqat thi aaj humein maati mil gayi…(my father and grandfather died struggling for justice and a solution for their access to clay pits, it was the strength of Yogi Adityanath that got us clay, pits and our rights).” 

Yogi Adityanath’s policies dedicated to the Prajapati community under the Mati board and improving law and order in the state, have resolved every issue centred on livelihood and life for Brijpal.  

Angered outpourings, a sense of 'guilt' for making ‘wrong choices’ in 2019, an ‘opportunity to make amends in 2024,’ and unflinching faith in the trio of Modi-Yogi-Raghav, sum up the Saharanpur Lok Sabha contest in 2024.

Saharanpur – described as “Ma Shakumbhari ka aangan (Goddess Shakumbhari's courtyard)” by PM Modi, Yogi Adityanath and Rajnath Singh and other leaders of BJP, is simmering with different energies in the 2024 contest. 

The Hunger For ‘Pachhwa’ 

Rallies done by PM Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath in Saharanpur between 2014 and 2024 have given voters the indication that the city holds importance in BJP’s work towards maintaining its dominance in western UP.

Bhopal Singh from Soobhri Village, just as several farmers this writer met, sum it up: “Pachhwa chalani hai abke (it’s time to set the Pachhwa in flow).” He metaphorically refers to the transforming wind that holds significance to farmers in Uttar Pradesh. Pachhwa refers to 'west' – the direction. Voters in Saharanpur seem ready to set in motion a wind of change for Western UP.  

A supporter of Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Raghav Lakhanpal Sharma, Prajapati claims that BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate from Saharanpur Raghav Lakhanpal has similar qualities. “There is not an iota of bias in him.” 

In 2019, Sharma, who was fighting to retain his seat, lost to Haji Fazlur Rehman. He got a 39.9 per cent vote share at 4,91,722 votes against BSP’s Rehman who won with 5,14, 139 votes (41.7 per cent). In 2014, Sharma had defeated Congress candidate Imran Masood – his current opponent from the Congress-SP alliance. In 2019, Masood could gather only 16.8 per cent vote share. 

The belief among voters is that after Sharma lost, many realised his true worth in the Saharanpur constituency considering his proactive outlook in bringing development to the city, taking matters of importance to Saharanpur to Delhi, raising pertinent issues in the parliament and dedication to the seat between 2014 and 2019. 

Pointing to the opposition, Shiv Kumar Saini, a voter, said: “People often say that one has to eat from his own efforts and hard work. There is no doubt about that. However, the government must provide the atmosphere to ensure that people can eat on their own, with their own hard work. The Modi government has done exactly that for the last 10 years.” 

At the clock tower area in the main city, many held the view that Sharma is completely aligned with Modi’s politics of development, and with the character, energies, dedication and work of PM Modi and Yogi Adityanath.

However, many believe that Sharma might face a challenge from the Congress-SP alliance that will try to cobble up Hindu support across caste diversities in addition to having solid Muslim support behind them.    

Rashtriya Lok Dal’s pivot is expected to help the BJP. Chaudhary Dheer Singh, a senior leader in RLD, told this writer: “The alliance of RLD-BJP in Uttar Pradesh in this Lok Sabha election will be of value to shaping the nation’s progress and destiny. During the previous election, a different set of issues brought the RLD together in alliance with the SP, BSP and Congress. This time, the RLD-BJP alliance will win.” Chaudhary’s supporters said that the RLD will stick to its stance of support for 'kisan-majdoor'. 

Development – The Big Winner 

Development is central to voter discourse in Saharanpur. 

Chandrabhan, a farmer from Chandrapur told this writer that the top achievements of the Modi government are: national security and the security of women.

Another farmer said that the only challenge left to face is neelgai attack in fields. “There is no problem other than that. Absolutely none.”

Arvind Kumar, also from Chandrapur said: “Vipaksh khatam hai. Unka kaam hai sirf janata ko bhadkana aur Hindu Muslim ki rajniti karna – (the opposition is over, their only job is to flame up communal tensions).” 

Udit Narayan, a youth voter, holds the view that no other government has seen achievements of the kind the BJP has. “Women are secure under this government. They can move around any time without fear. India's position has strengthened politically. Passport and VISA facilities have got strengthened and much better. India's stature has grown globally under PM Modi's leadership.” 

Highway connectivity in Saharanpur is being seen as a life-changing intervention by voters. Voters said that children travelling to faraway schools would take hours to commute and their return home would get delayed by hours.

According to Singh, previously, students from Saharanpur would commute to Meerut for higher education. “It was due to the efforts of Raghav Lakhanpal Sharma that Saharanpur has an institution that offers higher education.”  

A group of voters from Bhojpura said, “Sadkon ka jaal bichha rakha hai (BJP has woven a network of roads). Earlier, it was tough to reach the villages, now it is all about connectivity and smooth travel.” 

During his tenure as MP between 2014 and 2019, Sharma took up the matter of the need to establish a state-level university in Saharanpur. It is one contribution that voters speak the most passionately about. 

His attention to farming issues, issues relating to sugarcane growing and harvest, rail and road infrastructure, education, and dharma, strengthens his popularity. 

In the future, efforts will be made to enhance road infrastructure leading to Siddhapeeth Maa Shakumbhari Devi Mandir under Modi and Yogi Government's focus on its development and beautification, instilling confidence.

The ‘Raghav Lakhanpal’ Character Certificate

At PM Modi’s rally held on 6 April in Saharanpur, this writer noted the fondness that the supporters of the BJP have for Sharma.

Voters place Sharma in a power trio along with Modi and Yogi. They use rows of titles for Sharma: “Milansaar; Mehenti; Karmath; Acche aadmi.” More: “Imaandaar; Shaaleen vyakti; Vyavhaarik.” More: “saaf chhavi ke vyakti,” “samajaik karya karne waale”; “Dharmic karyon ko bal dene waale.” Among them are Muslim voters. They fondly address him as “Raghav bhaiya.”

Several voters this author met believe that Sharma met the public and did not cease his interaction even during the years he was not MP. They count this as one factor that has drastically bolstered his prospects this time.

Many attribute Sharma’s popularity to his “cultural DNA.” What is his ‘cultural DNA?' “He is patriotic, he thinks of the nation first, next, about Sanatan, next comes samaj and if there is any energy left, he will think about his own family.” 

Sahil Gaba, a BJP worker told this author that the clean image of Sharma is a huge factor for voters to align with him. “He has been active during the last five years. BJP would have made a blunder by giving the ticket to someone else. He has been with the people during the last five years like he was the MP. He is the one who took the initiative for a university in Saharanpur. We have not seen the sitting MP during the last five years.” 

The Caste Currents 

Prajapati declares that the 2024 Lok Sabha poll is his chance to undo the past against politicians who are eroding communities from within - “jo bheetar bheetar kaat rahe hain.”   

The BJP’s campaign picked pace and intensity after PM Modi's rally on 6 April. It was attended by UP CM Yogi Adityanath and prominent local leaders. 

It happened that the same week the anti-BJP Kshatriya Mahapanchayat hit headlines when leaders of the community reportedly said that they would vote for the party that defeats the BJP.

They are upset about low representation in ticket distribution in Western UP where they account for 10 per cent of the population. On 10 April, Rajnath Singh landed in Saharanpur and addressed a rally - his first rally for 2024 in UP, where he said that the Congress-SP alliance run a narrative on some or the other community being upset with the BJP.  

Rajnath Singh mentioned the issue of Kshatriyas — his own community — being upset with the BJP, but with a difference.

Rajnath Singh said that in 2017, they (the opposition) said “UP ke pichhde naraz hain,” in 2019, “Brahaman naraz hain,” in 2022, “Jat naraz hain,” and in 2024, they said “Rajput naraz hain.” He added that in case the community is upset with the BJP, “hum log us narazgi ka samadhan nikalenge (we ourselves will find a solution).”

Deoband MLA Brijesh Singh told this writer that the message gone to his own samaj (Kshatriya), clearly, is that Maharana Pratap fought for swabhiman (dignity, respect and pride) and not for jati (caste).

Then Masood, as per BJP workers, is trying to pull away SC-ST strengths from the BJP. 

The alliance would want to break into the Hindu votes in order to chip away the emotion-based domination enjoyed by the BJP in villages.

Masood has a reason for being hopeful. His uncle Rashid Masood is a senior leader with vast experience in the region's politics during his stints in the Indian National Congress as well as the Samajwadi Party.

The nephew is trying to stitch together the uncle's support — particularly across castes within the Hindu vote — without making a huge display of community-based solidarity. Masood has been reported as telling voters that if the BJP came to power again, it will give the voters “treatment”. 

Singh told this writer that for him it was pleasantly “strange” how people from the weaker sections turned up on their own in 30-32 buses for Yogi Adityanath’s rally in his constituency.

“I learned that these were people who expressed their desire to be part of the rally on their own. Similarly, for the Ambedkar Jayanti celebrations, the 42 programmes held — the number — is a first.”

Reacting to Masood’s efforts to woo Hindu community voters with his singing of Ram Dhun, Brijesh Singh said: “What could be a bigger example of Ramrajya than the man who abused PM Modi with the ‘boti boti’ remark himself singing Ramdhun? This effort towards ‘sendhmari’ will not bear any results. He talks about Ram and Kripa Devi. Inhone Saharanpur ki janata ke liye kitne shool boye hain? Can he come and debate with me on what his uncle once said in the Parliament?” 

He added: One must note that during my campaign for the 2022 Vidhan Sabha election, the surveys and media wrote me off. They said that I would lose. My team and the teams of my party (BJP) knew that I will win. Same goes for Raghav Sharma. Be any community among Hindus — Kshatriya, Kashyap, Prajapati, Saini and so many others - whether OBC or Dalit, their support is with us.”

The Minority Math 

Masood making efforts to be a ‘Hindu-pleaser’ in a constituency of nearly 19 lakh votes where, as Sharma puts in a report, “about 6.8 lakh are Muslims,” reveals Masood’s strategy.

On the other hand, the BJP is aiming for a “13 lakh versus 6.8 lakh” contest — indicating where it expects the support to not come from. Masood lost after the “boti-boti” comment on Modi in 2014 and was defeated by Sharma by 65,000 votes. In 2019, Rehman made the most of the Mahagathbandhan mathematics.  

Raghav Lakhanpal Sharma told this writer that all communities and castes the opposition is banking on pulling away — including Muslims — are supporting the BJP. 

Mohammad Abid, a voter stands with arms folded as Hindus from Ismailpur, his own village, heap praises on the Modi-Yogi team. He listens patiently. However, when people from his village claim that the Modi-Yogi team has brought down the “utpeedan” of people in the Muslim community, he becomes slightly restless and intervenes. 

He says, “Modi, Yogi, Raghav, all three are doing great work.” Besides his community’s access to welfare policies and beneficiaries leading better lives, Abid narrated how it was under the current government that an old dispute of alleged land grab within their own community got solved. He said, “it was under this government that the matter so old got solved. We shall vote for the party that gets us welfare.” 

Mohammad Asif, a BJP worker told this writer that the “boti boti” politics has been replaced by the politics of development and welfare. 

Abid added that there are nearly 100-125 women of their community in their village, plus several relatives, who will work towards creating support for Sharma. He said that Sharma visited a programme hosted by them. 

Kunwar Pal Chaudhary from Ismailpur village, Saharanpur-rural, was accompanied by Muslim members of his village. He pointed that the proof of Raghav Lakhanpal Sharma’s popularity as a leader who works towards inclusivity is that Muslim members of his village came to the rally “on their own.”

The sense of security ranges from the abolition of Article 370 to the “end of utpeedan and gundagardi” on the local level. Chaudhary added: “The farmer would be in fear to venture into the fields with a spade during the nights. If the farmer was at the field, his house would get robbed. The dabangs would build pressure. These Muslims from our village wanted to join us for the rally for the same reason. The (opposition) says that they (Muslims) live in fear and under repression. Tell us what wrong has Modi done to them in the last 10 years?” 

The same Masood who was in the headlines during 2014 for using the infamous “boti-boti” comment for Narendra Modi has now deftly replaced it with “rozi-roti.”

PM Modi’s rally in Saharanpur on 6 April was meant to achieve coverage of neighbouring Lok Sabha constituencies too, particularly Kairana. According to Bhopal Singh from Soobhri village, the rallies give out the message that the “Modi-Yogi team” is serious about Saharanpur’s welfare.

“Unki vishesh kripa rehti hai Saharanpur par. The people of Saharanpur must reciprocate this display of warmth from Modi and Yogi on 19 April. Ram has returned, Raghav needs to return.” he said.  

Raghav Lakhanpal Sharma is covering every last bit possible to bring himself back to the seat — taking on caste and community challenges from the SP-Congress alliance. He ends it crisply: “Sab hamare saath hain.” 

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.