Bihar poll: Guest workers to play key role

SOURCES CLAIM that RJD workers have been asked to highlight the failures of the Centre as well as the state govt in handling the Covid crisis

With the Assembly elections slated to be held later this year, almost all political parties in Bihar are trying to woo guest workers who have returned due to coronavirus crisis and lockdown in the country.

A majority of such workers have lost their jobs and are now looking for a livelihood in Bihar. Reports also suggest that a many of them are backwards and may change the political equation on many seats. The RJD, which is the main Opposition party in Bihar, recently held a meeting in Patna to discuss the scenario.

Sources claim that party workers have been asked to highlight the failures of the Centre as well as the state government in handling the crisis as many of guest workers returned home on their own, either by walking, cycling or on packed trucks and trains.

“Why can’t our government see the pain of our workers? Instead of sharing their pain and sorrow, they (the ruling party) are busy doing politics,” RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said while sharing a video song highlighting the problems faced by guest workers who have returned during the lockdown.

RJD workers in Patna told this newspaper that the video song shared by Tejashwi Yadav on

Twitter will be circulated on social media.

“The country is facing a crisis due to the wrong policies of our government. Bihar government kept waiting for the Centre’s guidelines to rescue our workers who were stuck in other states due to lockdown. Many of these workers were infected due to our government’s mistakes. Our workers who have returned will give a fitting reply to the current regime during the Assembly elections,” RJD vice-president R.P. Singh said.