Kerala, Puducherry, Assam Natives Travel Home To Vote

Hyderabad: Natives of Kerala, Puducherry and Assam living in Hyderabad returned to their home states to vote on April 9, and the majority preferred train travel. Most people planned their trip in advance according to their means; Trains were preferred the most, followed by buses and planes.

The numbers for Assamese in Hyderabad were smaller and most worked in the hotel sector. Around eight to ten staff from a restaurant in Secunderabad left to vote. Akilesh Kumar, general manager of a three-star hotel, said: “They woke up to this election in particular as a revolution, they took leave in the first week of April and left.” Most travel is by train, including services from Charlapalli to Silchar, Kamakhya Amrit Bharat and Agartala.

The recently flagged off Charlapalli-Thiruvananthapuram Amrit Bharat train has been a boon for Keralites. Other services included Secunderabad – Thiruvananthapuram and Hyderabad – Kollam. Hyderabad is home to a large Malayali community estimated at around eight lakh. Surendran, Chairman, Velu Malyali Global Council, said: “We are taking elections seriously. The people of Kerala want the state to be better, no matter which party it is. We want Kerala to develop well. We lack industrial and business opportunities, so our people here have a strong mindset to return home and vote.”

Praising Hyderabad, Surendran said, “I came here 42 years ago as a humble worker. Later, I started in the manufacturing industry. Now I am interested in education and hospitality, I run a five-star hotel.”

The journey from Puducherry was also important as the Kacheguda-Puducherry train recorded full occupancy last week. While most locals left earlier, others left on April 8.

Private bus operators reported that bookings were poor due to long distances, with individuals choosing to travel independently, leaving little business in this sector.