/ Agencies:
Pilibhit district in Uttar Pradesh holds special importance because of its Terai geographical identity, agriculture, Sikh culture and political history. Bordering Nepal and Uttarakhand, the district is also called “Mini Punjab” because of its large Sikh population. The strong presence of the Sikh community is especially visible in the Puranpur area.
After the Partition of the country, many Sikh families who came from Sindh and West Punjab in Pakistan settled in the Terai region. Through hard work, they made the land here fertile and established their identity in farming. Even today, paddy, wheat and sugarcane cultivation play an important role in the district’s economy. Pilibhit is also known for its famous flute industry and tiger reserve.
Politically, Pilibhit has long been a centre of activity for the Gandhi family. Menaka Gandhi and Varun Gandhi have been MPs from here. The district has four assembly seats: Pilibhit, Barkhera, Puranpur and Bisalpur. In the 2017 and 2022 assembly elections, the BJP won all these seats.
On these seats, Sikh, Kurmi, Muslim and other backward class voters play an important role in electoral calculations. Puranpur has a particular presence of the Sikh community, while different social groups have influence in other areas. Issues linked to agriculture, sugarcane payments, paddy procurement and farmers also affect politics here.
Ahead of the 2027 assembly election, political parties will keep an eye on all four seats in Pilibhit. The district’s social diversity, the role of farmer voters and the participation of the Sikh community will be important themes in the coming electoral discussion.
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