Popularly known as ‘Tele Ram’ as he played the role of Lord Rama in the Hindi TV serial ‘Ramayana’, Arun Govil faces an "electoral Mahabharat" in Meerut, a constituency dominated by Muslims. Govil, who also faces the 'outsider' tag, is going to great lengths to convey to the electorate that Meerut is his birthplace. He also plans to permanently shift to Meerut if he wins the seat. Many, especially the elders, who had watched 'Ramayana' in the 1980s, also touched Govil’s feet during campaigning. Whether the respect transforms into votes remains to be seen.
A former mayor of Meerut, Sunita Verma, hails from a family of politicians. Her husband Yogesh Verma is a former MLA. Sunita, who hails from the Dalit community, is banking on the formidable Dalit-Muslim combination to sail through. The two communities together form around 50% of the total electorate in Meerut. Incidentally, Meerut was among the Lok Sabha constituencies that were won by the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls by a slender margin.
Published 25 April 2024, 02:43 IST