As UP heads to elections early next year, HT travelled to four key cities of the state.
UP may be predominantly rural, but it is rapidly urbanizing. Understanding political power, economic activities, state institutions, and the everyday lives and problems of citizens in these urban centres gives an insight into how the state is changing.
How parties are paving their way to the top
Lucknow is the seat of power. It is here that all political parties are busy strategizing their next moves for the election. HT visits four party offices to explore their strengths and weaknesses. As the political race heats up, Lucknow will see a turbulent year ahead.
In chaotic Varanasi, a state at loss
Varanasi is the world’s oldest living city. It is also PM Narendra Modi’s constitution – and an urban governance nightmare. HT explores the reasons for the fabled congestion of the city, the institutions that govern it, and what it tells us about politics.
Allahabad is home to the High Court. It is one of the world’s largest judicial bodies, with 160 judges and 15,000 lawyers.HT profiles the court as a mirror of the state’s fault-lines – between the west and east, between traditionally dominant castes and the emerging backward social groups.
A city of aspiration held back by crumbling infrastructure
Meerut is in the race to become a ‘smart city’. A vibrant economic hub, HT reports on the contradictions of the city – of wealth, yet weak infrastructure; of industries, with no worker movements; of its location in UP, but desire to get integrated with Delhi.