Hyderabad: Migrant youth make a fast buck with poll campaign work in Telangana State

Hyderabad : Unskilled youth, who migrated to Hyderabad for livelihood from the districts, were in high demand in the ensuing Assembly elections. The Contestants mainly, BRS, Congress, and BJP, from the districts were extending an invitation to the youth voters in the respective constituencies to join the ‘Poll campaign team’ with a big package for one month till the election day, November 30.

Scores of semi–literate people particularly youth from the neighbouring old Nalgonda, Mahbubnagar, Rangareddy, and Medak districts migrated to Hyderabad to work as unskilled labour in different sectors in the State capital. Since it was the election season, the contestants of the ruling BRS, Congress and BJP were busy hunting the youth who were also electorate in their Assembly segments.

Leaders said that it becomes a big difficulty for the parties to create campaign teams due to a lack of adequate availability of people. Many of them already settled in their professions in different areas in the State and some of them have shifted to Hyderabad for livelihood. The local leaders in the constituencies have been entrusted with the responsibility of searching for the youth voters who were on the job in the unorganised sectors and others like restaurants.

The leaders were offering Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 package for one month to those who joined the campaign team. They will be provided food, accommodation, and also liquor for attending the rallies and roadshows organised by the contestants in the villages.

The BRS and Congress were already vying with each other to create campaign teams with a large number of youth to show their political strength at the ground level. The campaign teams with youth will be a big advantage for the parties to influence the voters during the election period, leaders said that women's groups will also be created to reach out to the women voters at their doorsteps. Local women will be hired by paying daily wages. They will undergo training on the poll campaign before hitting the campaign trail. Each contestant will spend at least Rs 2 crore to Rs 3 crore on maintaining the election campaign groups for a month period.