Thousands of migrant workers have returned home ahead of the first phase of the Assembly polls, driven by a mix of apprehension, social pressure and political motivation.

One of them is Saidul Sheikh, who reached his home at Hariharpara in Murshidabad district from Ganjam in Odisha, though his name had been deleted from the electoral roll during the SIR drive.

“If I stayed in Ganjam on polling day, people might suspect I am a Bangladeshi and ask why I didn’t return to vote. That is why I returned home,” said Saidul, 38, a hawker.

The railway stations and other transit points in Bengal have been witnessing an unusual surge in the returning migrant workers. Some fear that if they don’t exercise their franchise, their names would be removed from the voter list. Other labourers have returned to avoid perceptions that they are “Bangladeshis” and protect their livelihoods in states where they work.

Dilip Roy, a carpenter who has been working in Kerala for seven years, said he did not want to take any risk this time. A resident of Saptibari in the Mainaguri block of Jalpaiguri district, Roy reached the Jalpaiguri Road railway station along with several others.

“Earlier, I skipped some elections because travelling home is expensive. But after the revision process, my family insisted I return to vote, fearing my name might be deleted if I didn’t,” he said.

Along with some others, Roy reached the Jalpaiguri Road station by train on Wednesday.

Ripon Sheikh, who is also from Hariharpara and a wholesale trader of bed linen at Berhampur in Odisha, returned home four days ago.

“I have come home only to avoid any confusion that might crop up among locals in Berhampur that we are Bangladeshis. In fact, we have faced questions from some people about when we will go to cast our votes. Though it means financial losses, we do not want to take any chance as we earn our livelihood there and don’t want to jeopardise it,”
said Ripon.

However, not all returnees are driven by fear or compulsion. Some see the election as an opportunity for a “political change” in the state.

Madhab Roy, a mechanic working in Kerala and a resident of Mohitnagar in Jalpaiguri, said economic concerns were a major factor behind his decision. “For years, we have had to migrate to other states for better earnings. Here, we can’t even earn half of what we make outside. This time, we have come to vote for change and for better job opportunities,” he said.

Political observers believe the return of migrants could influence the electoral outcome. “Migrant workers are not a homogeneous group; they belong to different communities. This time, their votes are likely to be divided. Issues like unemployment and migration will play a crucial role,” said an analyst.

Additional reporting by our Jalpaiguri correspondent