Migrant voters play crucial role in polls

Srikakulam: The TDP and YSRCP nominees are eyeing on migrant voters in their respective segments as they play crucial role at the hustings. Srikakulam district is known for under development and backwardness as a result, in each village at least 100 to 150 voters are migrated to other areas in search of livelihood.

Workers and fishermen from Srikakulam are normally migrated to Gujarat, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Goa, Andaman Islands, Kandla, Mangalore and other parts of the nation.

The fate of candidates' winning and defeat is marginally below 6,000 votes here. Realising the role of migrant voters in the elections, the candidates are luring them by offering some incentives besides giving them to and fro tickets for their travel.

In each assembly segment at least ten per cent of voters are settled in other parts. In 2014 elections, YSRCP candidate Kalamata Venkata Ramana won only with 3,812 votes majority against TDP candidate S Vijayarama Raju from Pathapatnam segment. In Rajam segment, Kambala Jogulu of YSRCP won with 512 votes against TDP senior leader Kavali Pratibha Bharathi.

In Palakonda segment also, V Kalavathi of YSRCP won with 1,620 votes against TDP candidate N Jayakrishna. In NarGasannapeta segment TDP candidate B Ramana Murthy won with 4,889 votes against YSRCP candidate D Krishna Das. TDP state president K Kala Venkata Rao won against YSRCP candidate with 4,741 votes in Amudalavalasa segment. In all these segments the number of migrant votes are crucial and decide the fate of candidates.

The candidates are making efforts to bring migrated voters to their villages by April 11. The village cadre of respective parties are identifying the list of migrants in villages and booking railway tickets for April 10 and 11 including their return journey tickets.