Politics colours Chhath Puja festivities: Congress, BJP woo north Indian voters

Both parties organised events at Juhu beach; accused other of using fest to influence community

MUMBAI: With the parliamentary and assembly elections slated for next year, both, the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) choose to compete with each other to attract lakhs of north Indian devotees who gathered at Juhu beach to pay obeisance to the Sun God on the occasion of Chhath Puja on Tuesday.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis was chief guest for the BJP function while Maithili singer Ranjana Jha performed at the Congress event. Despite their respective plans, both parties accused each other of politicising the festival.

“BJP always ensures a highvoltage event whenever the elections are in sight,” said Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam, who heads the Bihari Front. However, all the banners of Bihari Front Chhath Puja fest had photos of Congress president Rahul Gandhi prominently displayed.

The Bjp-affiliated Chhath Puja Mahasangh debunked the accusations. “The chief minister has been attending the function regularly since the last three years and this has nothing to do with elections. It was Nirupam who brought the culture of song and dance to this religious celebration. However, we are against this and instead organise yagnas and bhajans for the people,” said Amarjeet Mishra, coordinator, Chhath Puja Mahasangh. Mishra also doubles as the general secretary of the Mumbai BJP.

Speaking at the event, Fadnavis said he wanted Juhu to become the epicentre of Chhath Festival. “We want the people of Bihar and Purvanachal to come to Juhu and pray here on Chhath,” he said.

The north Indian community is currently one of the important groups of voters in Mumbai and have the numerical strength to influence the electoral outcome.

Mishra defended inviting Fadnavis for the Chhath Puja event, saying he was responsible for the improved facilities for the festival. “In the past it was utter chaos. It was our government which improved the infrastructure,” he said.

Chhath Puja is an important festival for people from Bihar. However, the event garnered additional attention in 2008, when Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray objected to the celebrations, alleging north Indian migrants in were using the festival as a show of strength. Thackeray recently agreed to address the community in December to explain his ‘son of the soil’ agenda.