Migrant Workers Face Voting Rights Dilemma Across India
Thousands of migrant workers from West Bengal are confronting an impossible choice as the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) gets underway. From the construction sites of Kerala to the jewellery units of Gujarat, Bengali migrants are torn between returning home to ensure their voting rights and staying back to protect their livelihoods.
The anxiety began after October 27, when the Election Commission announced the SIR schedule for 12 states and Union Territories, including West Bengal. The process requires voters to submit enumeration forms between November 4 and December 4, with draft electoral rolls publishing on December 9.
Kerala Construction Workers Bear the Brunt
In Angamaly, Kerala, 28-year-old construction worker Jairul Mandal represents the growing panic among migrant communities. "The enumeration forms have already come and we're afraid that if we don't take part in the process, we'll miss the vote," says Mandal, who lacks the financial means to travel back to West Bengal.
The situation is equally desperate for 22-year-old Habeebulla Biswas in Kochi. Having recently returned to Kerala after Durga Puja celebrations in his native Murshidabad, Biswas now faces the prospect of another expensive trip home. "I don't have the money to make another trip back home," he explains. "Heavy rain had stalled construction in Kerala and work has just started to get regular. My parents told me forms have reached, but we can't just rush back home."
Mumbai's Bengali Community in Panic Mode
The SIR exercise has sent shockwaves through Mumbai's substantial Bengali migrant population. In Malad, 35-year-old construction worker Masibur Mallick weighs his options carefully. Living with his wife and three daughters, including one who is specially abled, Mallick faces significant hurdles. "If I go now, my employers will cut my daily wage and I am the only earning member in my family," he reveals.
The family has sent document photos to relatives in West Bengal and awaits guidance. Nearby in Malvani, Tarifa expresses similar concerns about her husband's potential trip to Hooghly. "If there's an issue and we're called, we'll have no choice but to go. But how will we? My husband, who is a labourer, is the sole breadwinner of our family of five."
Confusion and Alternative Solutions Emerge
Amid the widespread panic, confusion reigns in some quarters. In Mumbai's Ambujwadi, 53-year-old Amal Biswas questions why his wife has been summoned for the SIR exercise when the family are no longer registered voters in West Bengal. "I've been living in Mumbai since 2002 and all my documents have my Mumbai address. We're registered voters here," he states, puzzled by the request.
Meanwhile, workers' associations in Gujarat are taking proactive measures. Aloknath Shaw, president of the Rajkot Bengal Young Star Group, clarifies that physical presence isn't mandatory. "We've spoken to BLOs about the procedure. Workers don't need to go back to West Bengal for the SIR. BLOs only need documents and photographs, which their relatives can provide."
In Ahmedabad, Abdul Rauf Yakub Shaikh of the Samast Bengali Samaj Association suggests another solution: "We decided that those who need to go and get it done, should go. But those who want to settle down in Gujarat, can deposit their old Voter IDs and have new ones made in Gujarat itself."
The SIR timeline continues with claims and objections accepted until January 8, 2026, and final electoral rolls publication scheduled for February 7, 2026. As the deadline approaches, migrant workers across India continue their desperate calculations between democratic participation and economic survival.
