'Naa nara hai, naa jhanda hai, election thanda hai' (elections are a cold affair without slogans or flags), these words of a college student aptly sum up the poll atmosphere in this western Uttar Pradesh town.
Power, poor roads and infrastructure, and medical facilities are election issues here. But people claim these are issues that a good MLA can tackle easily at the state level itself, much less an MP.
But the MP, who would represent the Meerut-Hapur Parliamentary seat in the 15th Lok Sabha, may win on caste equations and not on any local issue.
The BSP, BJP-RLD and SP are locked in a fight for the seat, for which polling would be held on May 7.
Shobit Bansal, a college student, said he is enthusiastic as he would cast his ballot for the first time. But he laments that the election campaign lacks colour. There are no banners, banters or flags.
"Only once in a while we see politicians during their door-to-door campaign... There is no festivity involved," he said.
But there is a voice of discontent on local issues, claim local journalists. Residents of six localities in the main town have announced they would not vote if the Khatta road is not repaired. The residents claim that the road has not been repaired for the past one year.
A colourful banner "Jo banayega road, use denge vote" (whoever will make the road will get our votes) is displayed prominently in the area.
However, issues of emergency services, good hospitals and efficient administration have taken a back seat as neither the voters nor the contenders rake these up.
However, BJP-RLD candidate Rajendra Agarwal claimed: "It is not the question of Jat votes or caste-based politics, policies of the NDA will fetch me votes."
The BJP's central leadership is hopeful that the alliance with Ajit Singh’s party will help it improve its tally in the western UP, as the Jat leader commands a major following in the sugarcane belt of the state.
BSP's Malook Nagar is cashing in on the development work undertaken by the Mayawati government in the state. Moreover, he also hopes to grab a share of Dalit-Gujjar votes.
The SP has fielded lawyer Shahid Mansoor with an eye on the minority community votes here, though the party's new-found alliance with former BJP leader Kalyan Singh, who was involved in the the Ram temple movement in Ayodhya, could mar its prospects.
Sitting MP Shahid Eklaq, who had won the seat on a BSP ticket, is now contesting as an Independent with the support of the newly-formed Secular Party. Eklaq had recently shifted loyalties to the Samajwadi Party but soon fell out with party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.