Bihar enters the crucial verdict stage on Friday as results for its 243-member Assembly will be out. Voting was held on November 6 and November 11, with the winner likely to be declared by today evening. This election is the first in two decades conducted after a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which removed over 65 lakh names, disproportionately affecting minorities and migrants. Exit polls suggest the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is likely to return to power.

Kerala: The northern heartbeat of Bihar politics

The political ripples of Bihar’s outcome extend far beyond Patna, reaching Kerala’s industrial hubs, home to an estimated 31.4 lakh guest workers, including nearly 5 lakh Biharis. Concentrated in districts like Ernakulam, often called Kerala’s ‘mini-India’, this workforce became a fiercely contested constituency.

Great political mobilisation

Both the Mahagathbandhan and the NDA launched extensive campaigns targeting Bihari workers in Kerala. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), led by Tejashwi Yadav, coordinated its state unit to maximise migrant voter turnout, offering to fund return travel. The BJP responded with focused outreach, particularly around the Perumbavoor plywood industrial zone, also providing travel support for Hindu workers.

Cultural returns meet electoral duty

The timing coincided with Chhath Puja, prompting one of the largest seasonal migrations in India. Special trains carried thousands of workers north, many from Ernakulam Junction, combining cultural obligation with the urgency to secure voting rights after the SIR deletions.

Migrants define Bihar turnout

This synchronisation between politics and culture contributed to a historic 67.14 per cent turnout in Bihar, with an estimated 3.1 million returning migrants responsible for roughly 4 percentage points of the rise.

Kerala watches and waits

For Kerala, the Bihar verdict matters. Thousands of workers made an economically costly journey, often losing 15 days’ wages, to cast their votes. The results will resonate in silent construction sites and shuttered shops across Kerala, awaiting the return of those who travelled home to fulfil their democratic duty.