NEW DELHI: With nearly 70 lakh Bihari migrant workers returning home for the Chhath festival on October 27–28, just a week before the first phase of Bihar Assembly polls, political experts expect a surge in voter turnout across the state's 243 constituencies.

The Assembly polls will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, with counting and results scheduled for November 14.

According to estimates, around 2.5 to 3.1 crore Biharis work outside the state, including 80–90 lakh who migrate annually for work as labourers, masons, mechanics, and other trades.

The migrant workers coming home, mostly labourers and employees working in factories, construction sites, and offices across India, are being considered a decisive voter bloc. Many of them are likely to stay back and vote, especially

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