Candidates eye votes of migrant workers

Berhampur: Candidates of various parties are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to woo migrant workers of Ganjam and Gajapati districts. Around eight lakh migrant workers of Ganjam and Gajapati are working in different states like Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat. A majority of them are working in the textile mills in Gujarat’s Surat.

BJP and Congress candidates have made migration their campaign plank, alleging that the BJD govt in the state failed to provide jobs to youths, forcing them to migrate to other states for livelihood. Even before the announcement of election dates, politicians had visited places where the migrants work and appealed to them to return to their native villages and vote for them on the polling day. The workers were offered a range of sops, including free travel to their native villages.



“They (candidates) are asking us to return and to vote for them. They are even providing us with travel fare. However, we have come on our own and will vote for those who can ensure our welfare,” said Ranjan Bhuyan of Aska, who returned on Tuesday.

Muna Pradhan of Polasara, who works in a textile mill in Surat, said, “Like every year, we came to participate in the Bishuba Sankranti. However, this year, we have stayed back for voting in elections.” Like Muna, hundreds of other migrant workers, who have returned to the state, have stayed back to vote.

However, many workers also left for their work places ahead of the election.