The Delhi government declared a public holiday on November 7 to commemorate Chhath Puja, a significant festival for the Purvanchali people. “I am delighted to let everyone know that the Delhi administration has chosen that there will be a public holiday on November 7, 2018, for the festival of Chhath, so that everyone in the family of Purvanchal, can celebrate the season with pomp and circumstance and show,” Delhi Chief Minister Atishi stated, announcing the vacation.
The Chhath public holiday was announced months before the national capital’s assembly elections. According to government figures, the Purvanchali minority makes up around 42 percent of Delhi’s voter and has the ability to influence results in over half of Delhi’s 70 Assembly constituencies.
Every year, after Diwali, Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand celebrate the four-day Chhath celebration, which is one of the most popular and largest.During the event, married women fast for 36 hours, while believers offer wheat, milk, sugar cane, bananas, and coconuts to the Sun.
The celebration includes four days of ritual cleanliness and fasting. Last week, the BJP also launched an outreach campaign to interact with the Purvanchali population ahead of Chhath.
The BJP’s outreach campaign is part of a larger strategy to solidify the Purvanchali vote, which is critical in their bid to recapture political territory in Delhi, where they have not been in power for 26 years.