NEW DELHI : The administrative and health crisis caused by the covid-19 pandemic and mass migration from cities is turning into a key electoral issue ahead of assembly elections in Bihar scheduled to be held six months from now.
A large number of the migrant casual workers headed for their home towns and villagers are from Bihar. The ruling Janata Dal (United), or JD(U), a member of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the main Opposition party in the state, have locked horns over the issue.
Job losses that the pandemic is expected to create in the coming months could pose a big challenge to JD(U) chief and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar.