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NRIs may soon vote in Indian elections

The government has sought two weeks' time to submit a reply in the Supreme Court on amendment to the Representation of People Act to allow NRI voting.

Millions of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) will soon be able to cast their votes from abroad for elections held in their home country.
India's federal government on Friday told the Supreme Court that it will amend the election law to allow NRIs exercise their franchise through e-postal ballot.
The government has sought two weeks' time to submit a reply in the Supreme Court on amendment to the Representation of People Act to allow NRI voting.
Attorney General KK Venugopal told the Supreme Court that a team of ministers had met on Thursday and recommended such an amendment.
The ministers have decided that to "facilitate external modes of voting to the overseas electors. Amendment to the Representation of People Act would be required by way of introduction of a Bill in parliament," Venugopal told a bench of Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud.
Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, who had filed a petition in the top court onNRI voting rights in April 2014, welcomed the federal government's move and said it was a vindication of his more than three-year long legal battle.
"I am very happy as after close to three-and-half years of the legal battle in the Supreme Court of India, the federal government has decided to provide more than 10 million NRIs their constitutional right to vote from their respective place of residence or work."
The Abu Dhabi-based NRI is pleased with the way Supreme Court has shown urgency in this regard. He noted the Supreme Court has asked the government to provide a road map for implementation of the NRI voting rights.
"This means the Supreme Court would monitor the implementation of the amendment to be done in the Act so as to facilitate voting for NRIs. Although, I fought this case on behalf of all the NRIs across the world, I took it upon myself to engage India's top lawyers like Harish Salve, Mukul Rohatgi, Kapil Sibal, Dushyant Dave and Prashant Bhushan. I will continue my legal fight to ensure that NRIs get their constitutional right to vote at the earliest."
In the last hearing of the matter, Mukul Rohatgi had said the modalities of NRI voting can be done by amending the Rules and would not require amending the Act.
The Supreme Court on Friday asked the federal government to inform a time frame required for bringing a bill amending the Representation of People Act.
Vayalil said further processes in Parliament shouldn't take much time.
"I will do my best to ensure that the government introduces the amendment bill in the Parliament at least by this year's winter session so that all steps are cleared for the NRIs to vote in 2019 Lok Sabha elections."
Indian expatriates and associations, too, had been constantly highlighting the need for NRI's to be able to vote, Vayalil said.
"I am proud of this development and sure the long-cherished dream is going to become a reality soon," he added.
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com