Bhubaneswar: Around three lakh migrant labourers from Balangir, Kalahandi and Nuapada districts are unlikely to cast vote as most of them are contracted to their workplace till June. Most of these workers are employed in brick kilns of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.Umi Daniel, a researcher on seasonal and distress migration, said around 6.5 lakh workers from southern and western districts of Odisha are working in different kilns outside the state.“In Balangir district alone, 76,000 men are officially registered as migrant workers. The migrants travel with their families. So, you can double the number. From Balangir district alone, a little over 1.5 lakh labourers are working in different kilns. In Nuapada district, 5,000 labourers have been registered. But, unscrupulous labour agents hire more than what has been officially registered,” Daniel said.He said in the past elections, only men would return to vote while their families stayed back. “The kiln owners are apprehensive of allowing all workers to leave for the election as they feel they may not return. So, very few labourers turn up to vote,” he explained.The Balangir district administration is spreading awareness among voters in the migration-prone belt. “We can’t do much other than spread awareness. We can’t bring them nor can we ask them to come as it will be construed as poll code violation,” said Balangir collector Arindam Dakua.Nuapada collector Poma Tudu echoed similar sentiments. “The labourers go on their own and they will have to come on their own to cast votes. I will try and see if there are ways they can be brought back to cast their votes,” Tudu said.In the 2009 and 2014, some political parties tried to facilitate the return of migrant workers during election time, but not many could be persuaded to cast their votes.

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