India, Jan. 26 -- From Children's Day, Kisan Day, Governance Day, Swabhiman Diwas, Qaumi Ekta Diwas, Sadbhawana Diwas, Social Justice Day to Sewa Diwas - politicians celebrate their birthdays publicly more for political messaging than just pomp and show. Some leaders' birthdays are celebrated as Jayanti, marked as a national day, like Lal Bahadur Shastri's, who gave the slogan of 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan'.

When leaders organise lavish celebrations, it is to tell the constituency about their political and pecuniary prowess.

Recently, Dalit leader and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief, Mayawati, marked her birthday with a press conference in which the political messaging was loud and clear- 'BSP will go solo in 2027 Assembly polls on the party...