BENGALURU: Regional new year festivities, along with the festival of democracy, are threatening to upend the construction and hotel sectors in IT capital Bengaluru, and other parts of Karnataka, through the month of April.
With the Election Commission setting the poll calendar for West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry, these sectors are likely to take a beating as a large chunk of voters from these states would leave Bengaluru.
According to representatives from a Tamil association in Bengaluru, Karnataka has around 80 lakh Tamilians, and lakhs travel to Tamil Nadu during elections to cast votes. “About 30 per cent of these Tamilians vote in Tamil Nadu but are settled in Bengaluru and other districts. Many are here only for livelihood in small hotels and construction.
With the Tamil New Year falling on April 14 and poll date on April 23, construction and hotel workers and others will be on leave, and industries dependent on them will take a hit,” said Ko Damodharan, president, Bengaluru Tamil Sangam.
Similarly, there are over 16 lakh Bengali migrants in Karnataka, and those engaged in construction work have already left the city as an election is not just serious work, but good business for them. “A majority of them will leave for Pohela Bhoishak, the Bengal New Year on April 15, and elections slated on April 23 and 29,” said Rudra Shankar Roy, philanthropist and patron of many Bengali associations. With the hotel industry facing LPG supply issues, some workers have already left the city.
With a voting population of nearly 4 lakh, migrant workers from Assam are pleading with the Assam Society of Bengaluru to request the government to deploy special trains as all running trains are booked out due to Bihu, the Assamese New Year falling on April 14. With polling on April 9, a majority of students and workers will start leaving Bengaluru in the first week of April.
“Many of our boys are in the construction field, and some are students. With the festival and elections, many are leaving by train. Hope the government considers our request for a special train,” said Dheeraj Talukdar, adviser, Assam Society of Bengaluru. The community is spread across Electronics City, Hebbal and surroundings.
Karnataka is home to a Keralite population of over 18 lakh; while over 10 lakh are permanent residents, around 3 lakh students and workers are expected to leave in the first week of April, with polling day on April 9. With Vishu, the Malayali New Year, falling on April 15, it will be an extended vacation for the workers. Hotels and stalls near colleges dominated by Malayali students will be hit hard due to dull business.