Special trains ferry Bihar voters from Panipat, Sonepat ahead of election

With the Bihar Assembly elections entering their final stretch, the political fervour is being felt hundreds of kilometres away in Haryana’s industrial towns. On Monday, hundreds of migrant voters from Bihar boarded special trains from Panipat and Sonepat to return to their native villages ahead of the polls.

In a bid to facilitate their journey, BJP leaders and workers set up help desks at the Panipat and Sonepat railway stations, helping passengers with tickets and boarding assistance for trains headed to Bihar. Two special trains left Panipat on Monday — one bound for Barauni and the other for Bhagalpur district.

Panipat, known as the Textile City, has over 3.5 lakh migrant workers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and other states employed in its industries, which together account for an annual turnover of over Rs 60,000 crore. Sources estimate that around one lakh Bihar residents currently live and work in Panipat alone.

BJP district president Dushyant Bhatt, accompanied by Mayor Komal Saini and other party leaders, reached Panipat railway station to see off the voters. The two leaders flagged off the special trains by showing the green flag.

“A total of 600 Bihar voters have been sent to their native places today from Panipat,” said Bhatt. “All efforts have been made to improve the voting percentage in the Bihar elections. The people living here are labourers and they were initially scared about the cutting of their daily wages. But all have been assured by factory owners that their wages would not be cut.”

Bhatt clarified that the party had not provided free tickets, but BJP workers purchased tickets in bulk to help the passengers avoid long queues. “The workers only facilitated them to board the trains smoothly,” he added.

Party sources said BJP leaders also reached out to factory owners, asking them to assure workers that their four-day wages would not be deducted and their jobs would remain secure during their absence.

A similar scene unfolded in Sonepat, where BJP workers organised two special trains for Bihar-bound voters. Help desks were set up at the railway station to register voter details such as name, Aadhaar number, mobile number, home district and Assembly constituency. After registration, the passengers were handed train tickets and food packets.

The railway station echoed with election slogans as workers and passengers cheered, turning the premises into a vibrant campaign-like atmosphere.

Party sources said once polling concludes, arrangements will be made to bring the workers back to Haryana. The first phase of voting in Bihar is scheduled for November 6.