Where are the Hill people?

The state of Uttarakhand was formed in 2001 primarily on the plank of development for the people of the hills of Uttar Pradesh. It was hoped that with this, the Hill people could lead a better life.

Sadly, that was not to be. Even after ten years, the lot of the hills has not improved all that much, while those in the plains have. This election season, politicians have woken up to a new reality - mass migration from the hills to the plains. In search of a better education and livelihood, youth from the hills have moved in large numbers to the plains.

Following delimitation of constituencies, this poses a peculiar challenge to candidates - several constituencies in the hills have now disappeared, with new ones coming up in the plains. For parties like the UKD, this is an existential threat, since the UKD was formed on the very plank of development for the hills. However, this is a huge plus point for the BSP, which is a force to reckon with in the Plain Districts of Haridwar and Uddham Singh Nagar.

The UKD, one faction of which is a coalition partner with the BJP in the incumbent administration, will also need to battle internal politics that saw the party split into two. However, the real surprise would be if the BSP could upset the traditional Congress vs BJP game in the state. Add to that ND Tiwari's political shenanigans and you have the stage set for a huge battle. Sadly, detached from the hills.