Chennai, Oct 11 (PTI) – For many migrant workers from Bihar residing in Tamil Nadu, traveling home to vote in the upcoming two-phase elections in early November remains a distant prospect. The insecurity of their jobs makes taking time off nearly impossible. Many families who have relocated from Bihar to Tamil Nadu for low-paying jobs also do not see traveling back as a viable option this election season.
According to official estimates, Tamil Nadu hosts approximately 3.5 million inter-state migrant workers across its 38 districts. These workers are employed in various sectors, including construction, mining, hospitality, manufacturing, textiles, retail, and other commercial establishments. A recent report by the State Planning Commission, titled 'Life and Times of Migrant Workers in the Chennai Region–2024–25,' indicates that a significant number of these workers in the Chennai region originate from eastern and northeastern states, particularly Bihar, Odisha, and Assam. Migrant workers from Bihar constitute the second-largest group of inter-state migrant laborers in Tamil Nadu, with nearly 251,000 officially registered in the state. They form a substantial portion of Tamil Nadu's total registered inter-state migrant population of over 1.217 million, which includes workers from Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, and the Northeast.
Several factors contribute to the reluctance of migrant workers to travel home for voting. Losing several days' wages is a significant deterrent for many. As Ajay Kumar, a construction worker, explains, "We work on holidays and sometimes past sunset to earn a little extra for our families". Siluvai Vasthian of HEAL Movement, an NGO focused on empowering marginalized communities, notes that many in the construction sector live and eat at their work sites, rarely venturing out, making it unlikely they will vote in Bihar.
Efforts have been made by NGOs and local administrations to improve the lives of Bihari migrant families, including enrolling children in schools. However, the primary concern for many remains financial stability and job security, making the prospect of a long journey home to vote an unrealistic one.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has previously addressed concerns about the inclusion of migrant workers in Tamil Nadu's electoral rolls. In response to claims that a large number of migrant workers from Bihar had been added to the voter list in Tamil Nadu, the ECI clarified that any ordinary resident of a constituency is entitled to be registered in the electoral roll of that constituency, regardless of their state of origin. This clarification came after political leaders in Tamil Nadu alleged that the ECI was attempting to alter the state's political demographics by including migrant workers in voter lists.
