Notification for NRIs’ voting rights out: Minister

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi Saturday said the gazette notification granting voting rights to non-resident Indians is out.

Addressing reporters here, Ravi said the next move has to be made by the Election Commission.

“The gazette notification to this effect is out now. Now, the Election Commission has to make the next move to include the NRIs in the voters list,” said Ravi.

Former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy had first mooted the proposal to give voting rights to NRIs in 2005 to the central government.

With the gazette notification, it is almost certain that thousands of non-resident Keraliites would be able to exercise their franchise in the state’s next assembly polls to be held next year.

“In my recent trip to the Middle East, I asked all NRIs to see that they get their names registered with the Indian embassies of their respective countries. This is being done so that if any NRI’s vote is disputed, then the embassy could look into their records,” said Ravi.

Kerala has a record two million NRIs with more than 80 percent in the Middle East.

–Indo Asian News Service