Muzaffarnagar, infamous for the 2013 riots, is one of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. The incumbent Muzaffarnagar MP Sanjeev Balyan is the Minister of State for Animal Husbandry, Dairying, and Fisheries. The Muzaffarnagar Lok Sabha seat, in Muzaffarnagar district, has been held by the BJP since 2014. BJP's Jat leader Sanjeev Balyan won the seat after the 2013 riots, which resulted in the death of 62 people.
Located in northern Uttar Pradesh, Muzaffarnagar is one of the eight districts in Uttar Pradesh included in the National Capital Region (NCR). The Muzaffarnagar district is spread over 4,008 square kilometres.
Known as the 'Sugarbowl of India for its extensive sugarcane plantations, the region's economy thrives on sugarcane, paper, and steel industries. Nearly 40% of the region is dependent on agriculture and boasts of the highest agricultural GDP in UP.
2013 Muzaffarnagar Communal Riots
In recent memory, Muzaffarnagar pops up due to the 2013 communal riots. The clashes were among the worst in Uttar Pradesh's history. The origin of the clashes remains unclear, with two-three versions coming to the fore. The first version claims that an accident sparked arguments that eventually spiralled into communal violence. The second version claims that an eve-teasing incident led to the murder of a youth named Shahnawaz Qureshi. The alleged murderers, Sachin Singh and Gaurav Singh, were later lynched by a mob giving rise to the communal tensions.
The riots occurred in phases and spanned from August to September. Several other crimes related to the riots, including dacoity, arson, rape and murder, were committed during this period. The related cases are still pending in different courts.
Riots That Catapulted Sanjeev Baliyan Into Limelight
Union Minister Sanjeev Balyan walked into the Lok Sabha for the first time in 2014 riding on the back of a thumping victory, winning nearly 60% of the 11 lakh votes caste. He raked in over 4 lakh more votes than his closest competitor, Kadir Rana of the Bahujan Samaj Party. Immediately after his win, he was inducted into the Cabinet as the Minister of State for Food Processing. In 2019, Baliyan retained the seat by whizzing past RLD's Chaudhary Ajit Singh by a slim margin of a little over 6,000 votes.
The 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots played a big role in Balyan's elevation from a local leader to a Union minister. Balyan, who was launched as the BJP's Jat face in 2012, is accused of organising a mahapanchayat, defying prohibitory orders, and inciting violence through provocative speeches.
Muzaffarnagar Lok Sabha Seat That Led To SP-RLD Split
This year, Samajwadi Party's Jat candidate and former Rajya Sabha MP Harendra Malik will contest the Muzaffarnagar Lok Sabha seat on behalf of the I.N.D.I.A bloc. Harendra Malik's son Pankaj is the sitting MLA from Charthawal. Harendra, the SP's national general secretary, is among the biggest heavyweights from the SP this year.
Initially, the SP had agreed to cede seven seats to the RLD, but Muzaffarnagar was not on the list. However, as RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary refused to budge, SP offered Malik to contest on the RLD symbol. That, too, was unacceptable to the RLD as it wanted to field its own candidate. Eventually, it led to the parties falling out with each other. In a way, this will be a prestige battle for the SP as the RLD has now joined the BJP-led NDA and stands against Malik.
The Muzaffarnagar contest between BJP heavyweight Sanjeev Baliyan and SP veteran Harendra Malik will be one to watch out for.
According to the 2011 census, Muzaffarnagar has a population of 4,143,512, with an average sex ratio of 889. The populace is predominantly Hindu (57.51%), but has a sizeable Muslim population as well (41.3%). As much as 71.25% of the population lives in rural areas of Muzaffarnagar, while 28.75% lives in urban areas. Average literacy rate in Muzaffarnagar is 69.12%.