Guwahati: The hectic election season schedule has failed to overshadow the onset of the festive mood across the state. Instead, candidates and election officials are blending in Rongali Bihu traditions into their attempts to reach out to voters.In districts such as Lakhimpur, election authorities have deployed Bihu troupes to spread voter awareness messages and encourage higher turnout on election day. At the same time, several candidates across the Brahmaputra Valley have been embracing the Bihu spirit on the campaign trail and dancing with Bihu performers as preparations for the festival gather momentum.In Lakhimpur, BJP candidate and sitting MLA Manab Deka was seen dancing alongside Bihu performers while campaign in the Boginodi area. As the dhol played, women dancers gathered around Deka and his supporters, and the group broke into a celebratory dance. “People are welcoming our campaign team with Bihu songs and dance as Rongali Bihu is fast approaching,” he said.Assam Jatiya Parishad president and opposition alliance candidate from Khowang, Lurinjyoti Gogoi, has also frequently been seen dancing Bihu with supporters during his extensive rail of campaigns in upper Assam. From Manab Deka in Lakhimpur to Congress candidate Pranjit Choudhury in Rangia, candidates across regions are participating in Bihu celebrations, highlighting Assam’s cultural vibrancy despite the demands of the election schedule.Lurinjyoti said he was being welcomed in many villages by Bihu dancers, most of whom he said were his party’s supporters. “Our local committees were arranging Bihu performance to welcome us. The performances reflected genuine public support,” he added. He added that the dancers were not paid to performed, which reflects heartfelt backing.The Lakhimpur administration has also organised Bihu-themed voter awareness campaigns in areas with low turnout. Young girls performed Bihu dances in selected localities to spread a message about the importance of voting. In a social media post, the district administration said, “As the beats of Bihu echo through every corner, let the message spread louder — Your Vote, Your Voice, Your Power. Celebrate culture, strengthen democracy.”In Rangia, Congress candidate Pranjit Choudhury joined a group of children participating in a Bihu workshop, and was seen playing the dhol as the children rehearsed their performance. Choudhury said Bihu runs in the blood of Assamese people and that he was standing with children who would preserve Assamese culture, while also maintaining that he was not using the festival for political advantage.
