'Bihar Election + Chhath Puja Festival', What The Equation Means

When the Bihar poll dates were planned, the Election Commission kept in mind Diwali and Chhath Puja, two festivals closely linked with the state's electoral and socio-religious cycles.

The emphasis is usually on holding elections after these for the simple reason that lakhs of migrant workers return home for these, and that increases the voting percentage, substantially.

If an election is held before these festivals then those lakhs of men and women, mostly from underprivileged sections of society and often in underpaid jobs, simply cannot afford to travel home twice - once to vote and again to celebrate Diwali and Chhath - in a few weeks.

For this reason, political parties usually agree (a rare state of affairs in India) to hold the election immediately after the festivals. This year those dates are November 6 and November 11. That is, Diwali and Chhath will be held from October 18 to 28 and the election follows a week after.

Political parties are also usually in agreement over fewer voting phases, again to ensure the least inconvenience Bihar's migrant worker population, which forms a critical vote base.

In Delhi alone, for example, the number of Biharis is likely between 45 and 50 lakh. These include migrant labourers, small traders, students, salaried people, and small traders, who live in the eastern parts of the city, such as Laxmi Nagar, Trilokpuri, Mayur Vihar, and Shahdara.

A large chunk of these people are registered in the voter lists of that state, i.e., Bihar, since India's laws direct that voter registration is based on the place of birth or district of origin.

Votes will be counted November 14 and Biharis will know then (or within a few days, in case of a hung House and subsequent deal-making) who their government will be for the next five years.

The state has a total of 243 Assembly seats (of which 40 are reserved for marginalised communities). The majority mark, therefore, is 122.

Bihar elections and the Diwali, Chhath link

In 2005 there were four phases - October 26 and November 3, 13, and 20. The last phase took place on the day of Nahay Khay, which is the first day of the four-day Chhath festival.

The Janata Dal United-BJP alliance won that election, claiming over 140 seats.

The key metric in this context, though, was voting percentage, which 45.85 per cent.

Five years later, in 2010, Chhath Puja was to be celebrated from November 9 to 12.

A six-phase poll was ordered, beginning from October 21 and running to October 24 and 28, and November 1, 9, and 20. In this instance, the 11-day gap between the final two phases was calculated to give voters 'time off' to celebrate the Chhath festival.

The JDU and BJP, allies again, cantered to victory, picking up a combined 206 seats.

Crucially, the voting percentage was significantly higher - 52.73 per cent - reflecting increased turnout because more people had travelled home for Chhath and were able to vote.

In 2015 Chhath was held between November 15 and 18, and voting was held over five phases that finished on November 5. Unlike 2005, in this instance a nice big gap, again, between the election and the festival - 10 days - seemed to be a key factor, as voter turnout increased again.

This time 56.91 per cent of Bihar's voter-eligible population cast ballots.

And it marked a win for Lalu Yadav's RJD-led Mahagathbandhan - boosted by Nitish Kumar's JDU, which had swapped the BJP for the opposition - which picked up 178 seats.

Fast-forward another five years, in 2020, Chhath was held between November 18 and 21. Voting was held between October 28 and November 7, giving voters a 11-day 'holiday' to the festival.

The response was another increase in voter turnout, although marginally so, to 57.29 per cent.

The BJP-led NDA won then, despite a super strong showing by the Tejashwi Yadav-led RJD that won 75 of the 80 seats it contested and, almost single-handedly, dragged the opposition to victory. But the BJP-JDU (Nitish returned to the BJP's side) edged the contest by just three seats.

Now, in 2025, with Chhath pencilled in for October 25-28, the Election Commission has given Bihar voters a clear nine-day gap before they are required to turn out and vote.

Based on the trend of recent years, that turnout will likely inch closer to the 60 per cent mark.

Interestingly, it will also be the first time in the past five elections that voting will take place after Chhath. Will that meant voting percentage, instead, drops for the first time in recent elections?

Bihar, BJP, and Chhath Link

But it isn't just the voting dates and election schedules that are intertwined with Chhath.

The socio-cultural importance to these few days has been highlighted by the preparations the Delhi government, controlled by the BJP, is making for the city's Bihari population.

Essentially, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's administration is working to ensure a 'grand' Chhath in Delhi, so Bihar voters then travelling home for the election will do so with a positive image.

This underlines the point that Chhath has often been the focus of political controversies in the past, with the BJP and the Congress both attacking the Aam Aadmi Party, which was in power in Delhi for 11 years, for allegedly neglecting the festival.