This May 13, when Kanpur votes in the Lok Sabha Election 2024, the locals will look forward to elect not just an MP but a “true leader” who can bring back the lost glory of India’s erstwhile hub of industrial revolution, often referred to as ‘Manchester of East’.
As News18 travelled to Kanpur to feel the pulse of voters, most pointed out that development, inflation and unemployment were major issues, even as others hailed the construction of Ayodhya’s Ram Temple, the improved law-and-order situation in Uttar Pradesh and the PM Modi-CM Yogi factor.
“Sabne Kanpur ko apne haal pe chhod diya (Kanpur is surviving on its own). Sarkarein aayi aur gayi, par Kanpur ko bachane ka kaam kissi ne nahi kiya. Kanpur aaj bhi isi factory ki tarah akela, badhaal hai (Governments came and went but none changed the grim picture),” said Badri Prasad, a local who sells tea near Kanpur’s iconic Lal Imli, one of the oldest Colonial-era woollen mills.
Prasad said during the British era, his father and grandfather worked in the mill which was the epicentre of the first war of Independence. However, failing to cope up with the fast-moving world and lack of political interest, the mill finally met its end, leaving in the lurch over 5,000 labourers. Prasad said apart from Lal Imli, more than a dozen mills, including Elgin, Jute, and Muir, shut down in the past 50 years, hitting the livelihood of workers.
Now, the local says mills are history but the poor development of the city remains a key poll issue. “In present times, industrial development may not be a poll issue but the poor development of the erstwhile Manchester of East is indeed an issue. Barring metro and other cosmetic changes made under the Smart City programme, Kanpur has not witnessed any major infrastructural development in the past two decades. This is the only reason why people of Kanpur don’t want an MP but a leader who can boost the infrastructural development and bring back our lost glory,” he added.
Just a kilometre away from Lal Imli stands PPN College, one of the most well-known educational institutions of Kanpur. For students here, the issue of unemployment is supreme and they say their vote will go to the party that creates job opportunities for the youth. “I think the only issue that matters for youth is employment,” said Sudhanshu Shukla, a student.
Another student said Kanpur is the second-largest district of UP but when it comes to development, it is nowhere close to capital Lucknow, which is just 100 kilometres away. “Traffic jams are a major issue. We have to leave our home early in order to reach our college on time. But no efforts have been made so far to streamline the city’s traffic,” another student said.
People also pointed to inflation as a major issue. Madhu Garg, a housewife, cited the prices of vegetables, mustard oil and other edibles to explain that purchasing edible commodities was burning a hole in the pockets of the aam aadmi.
“Be it cosmetics, commodities of daily need, household goods or even vegetables, the prices are touching the sky. The government should put a break on inflation,” she said.
While inflation was a key issue among locals, most were all praise for UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s zero-tolerance approach towards crime and criminals.
Sudha Mishra, a homemaker from the Civil Lines area, said: “I think UP’s law-and-order situation has been streamlined. Now we can move out fearlessly even late at night. The Yogi government did a wonderful job.”
Traders too hailed safety in the state. “We are safe under this government. The crimes against traders are fewer as compared to the previous governments,” said Mohanlal Chandani, a trader who hails from Aryanagar locality of Kanpur.
The construction of the Ram Temple too touched a chord with voters who hailed the BJP government for the historic move and said “no previous government had enough courage” to take the step.
Kanpur Parliamentary Seat
The Kanpur parliamentary constituency, comprising Govind Nagar, Sisamau, Arya Nagar, Kidwai Nagar, and Kanpur Cantt assembly seats, holds significant political importance in Uttar Pradesh.
With a population of 2,226,317 as per the 2011 census, the constituency has 11.72 per cent Scheduled Castes and 0.12 per cent Scheduled Tribe populations, alongside influential Brahmin, Vaishya, Muslim, and Punjabi voters.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Satyadev Pachauri of the BJP secured a resounding victory with 468,937 votes, surpassing Sriprakash Jaiswal of the INC by a substantial margin of 155,934 votes. In the 2014 elections, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi of BJP emerged victorious with 474,712 votes, defeating Jaiswal, who received 251,766 votes. The total registered voter count in Kanpur was 835,125 in 2014.
These electoral outcomes underscore the BJP’s stronghold in the Kanpur Lok Sabha constituency. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the challenge before Congress would be to stop BJP from scoring a hat-trick in Kanpur.
Dr Ramesh Verma, a political analyst who hails from Kanpur, said the road to Delhi passes via the district. “The past electoral outcomes reflect the BJP’s strong presence and consistent performance in the Kanpur constituency in recent years. Factors such as the candidate’s popularity, party strategies, and local dynamics likely influenced voter preferences and contributed to the BJP’s electoral success in the region,” he said.
Verma added that in Kanpur, the fight is between Congress and BJP. However, he said it is too early to judge the undercurrents as the Modi-Yogi factor and Congress’s job assurance and ‘Karza Mafi’ are leaving a deep impact on voters.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, BJP has fielded Ramesh Awasthi from Kanpur Lok Sabha constituency, while the Grand Old Party has expressed confidence in Alok Mishra. It will be intriguing to see how the voters respond to these candidates in the highly anticipated electoral battle scheduled for May 13.
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