Intense Political Battle Looms in Itawa Ahead of 2027 Elections

Itawa, November 15 (Daily Kiran) : The upcoming 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections are set to be highly competitive in Itawa, where all three assembly seats will see intense rivalry. In the previous elections of 2022, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured one seat, while the Samajwadi Party (SP) won two. This time, all eyes will be on Itawa, a stronghold of the SP, as the district often influences the political landscape of the state.

Itawa, located on the banks of the Yamuna River, has a rich historical background. It played a significant role during the 1857 rebellion against British rule, with notable figures like Allan Octavian Hume, a founder of the Indian National Congress, serving as the district collector at that time. The area is also known for its remnants of the Great Baida, a historical site. Notably, renowned Hindi author Gulab Rai hails from Itawa.

The district boasts a long history that dates back to the Bronze Age. The earliest Aryan settlers, known as the Panchals, inhabited this region. Itawa is frequently mentioned in ancient texts, including the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. By the fourth century CE, it came under the rule of the Gupta dynasty.

During the 1857 uprising, Itawa was a hub of activity, with many freedom fighters making their presence felt against British colonialism. The city still retains remnants of the Great Baida, established by British rulers. The name “Itawa” is believed to originate from the word for bricks, reflecting the numerous brick kilns that once thrived in the area.

Itawa is well-connected to other parts of the country via roads, railways, and air travel. The nearest domestic airport is in Kanpur, approximately a two-and-a-half-hour drive away. The Itawa railway station is efficiently linked to major cities such as Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, Ghaziabad, and Varanasi, being situated on the Delhi-Lucknow line. By road, Itawa is 36 km from Bhind, 56 km from Mainpuri, 125 km from Agra, 153 km from Kanpur, 183 km from Aligarh, 240 km from Lucknow, and 314 km from New Delhi. The district is served by the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation and various private bus operators.

One of the notable attractions in Itawa is the Itawa Safari Park, formerly known as Lion Safari Itawa, which is touted as the largest drive-through wildlife safari in Asia, covering an area of 8 km. Itawa is also conveniently located about two hours from the Taj Mahal in Agra and approximately three hours from the state capital, Lucknow. Additionally, Victoria Park in Itawa features a well-maintained pond.

The district has a population of 1,581,810, with a literacy rate of 73.9%. Covering an area of 2,311 square kilometers, the primary languages spoken here are Hindi and English. Administratively, Itawa comprises six municipalities, six tehsils, and eight development blocks.

In terms of parliamentary representation, Itawa district includes two Lok Sabha constituencies: Mainpuri-21 and Itawa-41. The district also contains three assembly constituencies: Jaswantnagar-199, Itawa-200, and Bharthana-201.

Reflecting on the results from the 2022 elections, the BJP’s Sarita Bhadauria won from Itawa Sadar, while SP’s Shivpal Yadav and Raghvendra Kumar Singh emerged victorious from Jaswantnagar and Bharthana, respectively. As the 2027 elections approach, these three candidates are expected to remain central figures in the political discourse. The SP aims to retain Jaswantnagar and Bharthana while attempting to capture Itawa Sadar, while the BJP plans to maintain its hold on Itawa Sadar and make inroads into the other two seats.