Bihar panchayat polls: Migrants visiting home in festive season set to boost turnout

As per data compiled by the SEC, voting percentage has varied from 50 to 55% in the first three phases in districts in Kosi and parts of north Bihar where migrant population from villages go to western states for work.

Bihar’s migrant population returning home during the festive season ahead of Chaath could ensure a higher turnout in rest of the phases of the ongoing panchayat polls than the average 60% recorded in the first three phases, according to officials of the State Election Commission ( SEC).

During panahcyat polls at Naubatpur in Patna on October 08. (Santosh Kumar/HT FIle)

As per data compiled by the SEC, voting percentage has varied from 50 to 55% in the first three phases in districts in Kosi and parts of north Bihar where migrant population from villages go to western states for work.

For instance, in second phase, Saran recorded voting percentage of 43.44% while Khagaria recorded 53.24% and Madhepura recorded 47.50%.

Other districts from where migrants go to other states for work, like Araria, Darbhanga , Sitamarhi and Madhubani in north Bihar, also recorded a poor turnout (50-52%) in the second phase.

Another reason for a lower turnout could be the introduction of biometric system for verifying the identity of voters and to check bogus voting, say poll panel officials.

State Election Commissioner Deepak Prasad said use of biometric machines for checking voter identity had led to a check on bogus voting “There were negligible complaints of electoral malpractices in the last three phases,” he said.

However, social scientists attribute the low voter turnout to the absence of the large migrant population, especially in Kosi region and in north Bihar.

“But I feel the voter turnout will be good in coming rounds in end of October and November as the migrant population would be returning home in the next few weeks,” said D M Diwakar, former director of A N Sinha Institute of Social Sciences, currently in his village in Madhuabni.

“We did a study a few years back and found that voter turnout in elections held in October-November goes up by 5-6% because of migrants returning home,” he said.

The total electorate in panchayat elections is 6.39 crore while migrant population from Bihar is around 20 lakh, as per official records.

SEC secretary Mukesh Kumar Sinha said there could be some impact on the voter turnout as people living outside the state usually return home during the festive season.

The 11-phase panchayat polls will conclude on December 12. The fourth to ninth round of polls will be held from October 20 to November 29.