Known as the cereal-producing bowl in these parts, the constituency acquires a profile since incumbent MP Mahendra Nath Pandey is the BJP state party chief.

At a time when the BJP is contesting election on “Phir ek baar, Modi sarkar”, the state unit chief is entangled in triangular contest in this constituency on the plank of implementing infrastructure projects in the area versus the usual caste factors at play.“Development is taking place and it takes time to do so, our vote is for PM Modi”, Kuldeep Singh, an employee of a leading corporate house, said.

Yet for the farmers, the grouse of inadequate compensation for wheat procurement and inadequate power to reach water at the tail-end remains an issue, while for government employees scrapping of the old pension system continues to haunt. The local MP was found wanting for his inability to prevent the shifting of sanctioned medical college during CM Akhilesh Yadav’s time to neighbouring Mirzapur, constituency of Union Health Minister of State Anupriya Patel.

Pandey is facing  challenge from BSP-SP-RLD Gathbandhan candidate Sanjay Chauhan, whose OBC community once backed the BJP, but with major votes coming from the Dalits, Yadavs and Muslims alters the equation. Adding to the BJP woes is the presence of Congress-backed Jan Adhikar Party’s Shivkanya  Kushwaha, wife of Babu Singh Kushwaha, who broke away from the  BJP after being a minister.