For%20the%20past%2027%20years%2C%20Jogi%20Bhuiyan%20worked%20as%20a%20cook%20in%20Punjab%27s%20Jalandhar%20and%20earned%20just%20about%20enough%20to%20keep%20the%20home%20fires%20burning.%20The%20COVID-19%20pandemic%20that%20struck%20in%20March%2C%20and%20the%20subsequent%20lockdown%2C%20uprooted%20him%20and%20his%20family%20of%20seven%20and%20forced%20him%20to%20retrace%20the%20journey%20back%20to%20his%20roots%20in%20Bihar%27s%20Dumaria.

Bhuiyan%20was%20one%20of%20the%20estimated%2040%20lakh%20migrant%20workers%20who%20was%20forced%20to%20return%20when%20the%20lockdown%20closed%20businesses%20and%20snatched%20livelihoods.%20The%20initial%20sense%20of%20relief%20over%20being%20in%20familiar%20environs%20amid%20the%20deadly%20pandemic%20was%20soon%20replaced%20with%20concern%20over%20how%20to%20survive%20and%20where%20the%20next%20meal%20would%20come%20from.

Many%20looked%20to%20the%20Nitish%20Kumar%20government%20with%20hope.%20Some%20felt%20that%20Kumar%2C%20seeking%20a%20fourth%20straight%20term%20as%20chief%20minister%20in%20the%20upcoming%20assembly%20polls%2C%20was%20found%20wanting%20in%20his%20response.

Ashok%20Singh%2C%20a%20senior%20secretary%20at%20Indian%20National%20Trade%20Union%20Congress%2C%20says%20that%20the%20Nitish%20government%20has%20shown%20apathy%20towards%20the%20migrants.%20%22Even%20the%20basic%20work%20of%20registration%20of%20the%20migrants%20has%20not%20been%20done%20properly%2C%22%20he%20alleges.%20%22That%20is%20why%20most%20of%20the%20migrants%20were%20forced%20to%20return%20to%20their%20workplace%20or%20are%20planning%20to%20return.%20Those%20who%20are%20still%20in%20Bihar%20are%20facing%20unemployment%2C%22%20he%20adds.

But%20Pragati%20Mehta%2C%20JD%20%28U%29%20spokesperson%2C%20has%20a%20different%20view%20of%20the%20government%u2019s%20role.%20%22The%20Bihar%20government%20worked%20very%20tactfully.%20It%20was%20tough%20work%20to%20bring%20back%20those%20workers%20as%20there%20was%20a%20threat%20for%20infection.%20The%20government%20made%20many%20coordination%20committees%20in%20Delhi%20and%20many%20other%20big%20cities%20where%20Bihar%20labourers%20were%20stranded%2C%22%20he%20said.

Mehta%20added%20that%20around%2021%20lakh%20labourers%20were%20provided%20Rs.%201000%20each%20as%20emergency%20help.%20%22Those%20put%20in%20quarantine%20centers%20were%20helped%20with%20Rs.%205300%20each%22.

However%2C%20a%20study%20done%20with%20around%20300%20migrant%20workers%20by%20%27Right%20to%20Food%20Campaign%27%20showed%20that%20only%2012%25%20of%20them%20got%20Rs.%201000%20each%20from%20the%20Bihar%20government.%20Nearly%2044%25%20were%20unable%20to%20fill%20the%20form%20to%20get%20financial%20help%20and%20only%2010%25%20could%20avail%20of%20the%20benefits%20of%20the%20migrant%20workers%27%20scheme.%22%20Thousands%20were%20left%20disillusioned.

Bhuiyan%2C%20of%20Dumaria%20in%20Imamganj%20Assembly%20constituency%2C%20was%20one%20such%20migrant.%20He%20says%20that%20the%20government%20left%20him%20and%20many%20others%20like%20him%20helpless.%20%22Why%20should%20I%20vote%20for%20the%20government%20that%20is%20not%20supporting%20me%2C%22%20he%20asks.

Jitan%20Ram%20Manjhi%2C%20ex%20chief%20minister%20of%20Bihar%2C%20and%20founder%20president%20of%20Hindustani%20Awam%20Morcha%20%28secular%29%20had%20won%20the%20last%20election%20from%20Imamganj%20%28reserved%20seat%20for%20Scheduled%20caste%29%20and%20he%20is%20seeking%20a%20second%20term%20.%20He%20faces%20a%20stiff%20challenge%20from%20Uday%20Narayan%20Chaudhary%20of%20RJD%20here.

Another%20migrant%20worker%20Jitendra%20Das%2C%20belonging%20to%20SC%20category%20and%20a%20resident%20of%20Mohammadpur%20village%20under%20Sherghati%20Assembly%20constituency%2C%20is%20angry%20with%20the%20state%20government%20and%20has%20decided%20not%20to%20vote%20for%20the%20ruling%20party.%20He%20says%20that%20the%20Bihar%20government%20was%20not%20willing%20to%20bring%20them%20back%20while%20at%20the%20same%20time%20workers%20of%20other%20states%20were%20being%20provided%20with%20help%20by%20their%20governments.

Senior%20journalist%20Syed%20Khatibullah%20from%20Gaya%20says%20that%20the%20government%20started%20very%20late.%20And%20it%20was%20too%20little.%20%22Provisions%20were%20made%20for%20financial%20help%20to%20labourers%20but%20not%20all%20of%20them%20were%20successful%20in%20getting%20it%22%2C%20he%20says.%20Khatibullah%2C%20however%2C%20says%20that%20while%20there%20is%20anger%20among%20the%20migrants%2C%20eventually%20some%20will%20vote%20for%20their%20caste%20and%20the%20candidate%u2019s%20party%20will%20become%20immaterial.%20%22In%20the%20areas%20where%20the%20left%20parties%20are%20working%20for%20the%20migrants%2C%20they%20may%20vote%20against%20the%20ruling%20parties%u2019%20candidates%20ignoring%20caste%20affiliation%2C%22%20he%20adds.

Bihar%20goes%20to%20polls%20in%20three%20phases%20on%20October%2028%2C%20November%203%20and%207.%20Votes%20will%20be%20counted%20on%20November%2010.%20%26nbsp%3B