2009 -- India Election -

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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Home-bound Poorvanchalis worry Congress</b>
Siddheshwar Shukla | New Delhi
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The auspicious days (lagan) to solemnise marriages and ensuing summer vacation in the schools and colleges of the National Capital are driving away a major chunk of Poorvanchal voters to their native places in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

<b>The cultural group constitutes a sizeable number in the voters’ list of four Lok Sabha seats of Delhi. As thousands of Poorvanchalis would not be casting their votes in this General Election, the electoral statistics and calculations of East Delhi, West Delhi, South Delhi and North- East Delhi Lok Sabha seats would be affected. Due to this seasonal emigration, votes of other communities like Punjabi, Gujjars, Jats, Scheduled Castes and Muslims would be more effective.</b>

<b>Incidentally the polling day in Delhi (May 7) also happens to be the most auspicious day this summer for solemnising marriages.</b>  <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> The other auspicious dates of marriages are April 30, May 6 and April 10. The summer vacation in most of the schools is starting from first week of May. “I have to go to my village in Patna to participate in my nephew's marriage on May 6. We have no option but to join the family in the marriage ceremony,” said Ramesh Kumar Sinha from Matiala who was waiting for his train at New Delhi railway station on Monday.

<b>This cultural community constitutes around a whopping 22 per cent votes in West Delhi Lok Sabha seat. The per centage of Poorvanchali voters in North East and South Delhi Lok Sabha seats is around 15 per cent each. In East Delhi they form around 12 per cent of the voters’ list. Although the community is considered one of the most politically conscious groups they have politicians worried</b>. “The polling percentage will definitely come down in comparison to Delhi Assembly Elections due to this seasonal migration and scorching heat but Congress enjoys support in all the communities,” said Mahabal Mishra, contestant from West Delhi.

The trains are running full and reservation is not available in most of the trains till May-end. Even general coaches are packed beyond capacity and people can be seen queued up to board the East running trains at New Delhi, Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin and Sarai Rohilla railway stations. Not only office and business class persons but lower sections of Poorvanchali society also leave for their hometowns this time of year.

Every day overcrowded trains are draining off thousands of Poorvanchal voters away from their Lok Sabha constituencies in Delhi. Besides three dozen mail and express trains which go or cross through Poorvanchal, the Northern Railway has started six summer special trains from New Delhi and two from Sarai Rohilla railway station. “Observing heavy crowd we have to add additional coaches in the trains running towards east,” said AS Negi, spokesperson of Northern Railway in New Delhi.
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Congress votes are heading for Bihar.