Construction activity in several parts of Tamil Nadu has been disrupted after a large number of workers from West Bengal travelled back to their home state to cast their votes in the ongoing Assembly elections.
Elections have been announced in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Assam and West Bengal. In West Bengal, polling is being held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with the first phase already completed.
Industry sources said West Bengal workers who had been staying in Tamil Nadu for construction jobs have taken leave to participate in the election. As a result, work at multiple sites has been temporarily stopped.
The construction sector noted that projects in many regions rely heavily on migrant labour from Odisha, Bihar and West Bengal, and that workers often travel together for major events in their home states. They added that the work is expected to resume once the workers return after taking leave ranging from 15 to 30 days.
