More than 12 lakh sugarcane cutters from Marathwada, North Maharashtra, and Vidarbha could be deprived of their voting rights in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections on November 20. With the cane-crushing season set to start on November 15, many of these workers have already migrated to sugarcane belts in Western Maharashtra and other states, according to the Maharashtra Sugarcane Cutters and Transport Association.
The association has filed a petition in the Aurangabad High Court, urging the court to direct the Election Commission to ensure these migrant workers can vote. Jeevan Rathod, president of the association, stated in the petition that 12–15 lakh cutters move to regions in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu before harvesting begins. These workers, once migrated, typically do not return until April or May 2025.
“If such a large segment of the population is denied voting rights, it undermines participative democracy,” Rathod told PTI. He emphasized that in Maharashtra’s diverse political landscape, these votes could be crucial as victory margins are often slim.
In their plea, the association requested the court to consider measures like postal ballots or transportation to enable migrant workers to return home to vote and then resume work. They also appealed for a holiday on election day for sugarcane cutters, coordinated by the state’s Sugar Commissioner, the Maharashtra State Cooperative Sugar Factories Federation Limited, and the West Indian Sugar Mills Association.
BB Thombare, president of the West Indian Sugar Mills Association, assured that the workers would not be denied their voting rights. He mentioned that operations at sugar factories typically halt on election day, and arrangements are made for workers to travel back to their constituencies to vote. This year, due to the elections, the crushing season start date was pushed to November 15.
However, the petition has prompted discussions about possibly delaying the season even further to November 25. This change, while beneficial for the cutters, could impact approximately 50 lakh sugarcane growers, as delays could reduce yield and affect the next crop cycle. Following discussions with the Sugar Commissioner, permission was granted on Thursday night to begin cane crushing on November 15.
