KENDRAPARA: Come elections, migrant workers from the district find themselves in high demand. The July 20 polls for the Patkura Assembly seat is no different.
Candidates of the three major political parties BJP, BJD and Congress are leaving no stone unturned to woo migrant workers who form a major chunk of votes in the segment.
Around 40,000 youths of Patkura are engaged as plumbers, weavers, fitters and in other jobs at major cities and towns across the country.
As many of these migrant workers are heading back home to exercise their franchise in the upcoming polls, the candidates are eyeing their votes.
Family members and leaders of political parties are pestering the migrant workers to return home during the election, said Jiban Prasad Das of Haripur village.
“Our leaders are in touch with migrant workers. Many youths working in New Delhi and other cities have already booked train tickets to participate in the polls,” said Ganesh Samal, a BJP leader and Zilla Parishad member of Patkura.
BJD is also not lagging behind. “We have prepared a list of migrant workers of our constituency and approached many them to return to their villages to cast vote in favour of the ruling party which has done many developmental works in the region area,” said former MLA and BJD leader Utkal Keshari Parida.
There is hardly any village in Garadapur, Marsaghai and Derabishi blocks which does not have migrant workers. Political leaders are spending money to bring back these workers for the election.
“I had come to the village to cast my vote in the General Elections three months back. I have returned once again along with 22 others from the village to elect our MLA,” said Bipin Das of Ramachandrapur who works at a spinning mill in Surat of Gujarat.
Congress candidate Jayanta Kumar Mohanty and his supporters have also intensified efforts to woo migrant workers in their favour.