Guru Ravidas was the founder of the Ravidassia religion and an Indian mystic poet-saint of the Bhakti movement. Ravidas’ devotional verses were inscribed in the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh scriptures. Ravidassias have many traditions. They do not identify as Sikhs. Despite their reverence for ten gurus and the Guru Granth Sahib, Guru Ravidass Ji is their greatest authority.

In 2022, Guru Ravidas Jayanti will be celebrated on February 16. Guru Ravidas Jayanti is a prominent celebration among the Dalit population, which accounts for more than 30 percent of Punjab‘s electorate in the next elections.

Also Read | Punjab polls postponed to February 20 in light of Guru Ravidas Jayanti

The Election Commission of India postponed the Punjab assembly elections for February 20 after political parties asked the poll panel to postpone them until after the Guru Ravidas Jayanti holiday.

Elections in Punjab were previously set on February 14. Political parties had warned the EC that if the election was held just two days before Guru Ravidas Jayanti, many people would be unable to vote.

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According to a senior official, the EC first thought that holding the elections two days before the festival would be suitable, but Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi pointed out that many devotees would be traveling to Varanasi soon before polling day.

The Punjab Chief Minister’s proposal was followed by similar petitions from the Shiromani Akali Dal, the Bhartiya Janata Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party, and other parties fighting the state elections.

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The counting day for the Punjab elections remains the same for everybody, March 10.