MIGRANT MIGRAINE

Amid fears of migrant labourers being added to Tamil Nadu's electoral rolls, a labour department survey is said to be under way to assess the numbers

- BY LAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAN

FOR 29-YEAR-OLD Ajay Kumar, a construction worker in Chennai, elections in Bihar were always a festival. During the last two elections, he had returned to his village, on the outskirts of Patna, a week early. His family has 18 votes, including that of his two wives, four brothers, their wives, nephews, parents and grandparents. Ajay said that political parties often showered them with gifts during polls. But a week ago, one of his wives told him that his name was missing from the voter's list. Ajay and his brothers approached a political party leader, only to learn that they were not in the list in Bihar. A friend told him that he might be added to the rolls in Tamil Nadu, where he has worked for nine years. Ajay and his brothers—Bola, Rahul, Sambu and Kesav—move around Tamil Nadu for work. They now believe they will be added to the list wherever they are living at the time of the polls.