Abu Dhabi, January 10: Indian ambassador to the UAE, MK Lokesh has urged the Indian expatriate community in the UAE to register on the mission's website to be eligible for voting in the upcoming Assembly elections of 2012 in India.
Talking to Khaleej Times on Monday, the Indian Ambassador said that anybody can register online on the websites of the Indian missions in the UAE and the Election Commission of India.
The ambassador has clarified that an expatriate who wants to exercise his right of franchise has to first register and then cast his vote in India and not at the embassy.
“Pursuant to the law that was enacted to enable Non Resident Indians to vote in our national elections, the government has issued notifications for registration of overseas electors under the Representation of People Act, 1950,” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced in India on Sunday, as he formally inaugurated the 10th annual diaspora meet, the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.
Those NRIs who have registered with the embassies of their respective countries of stay will be eligible to vote in the upcoming assembly elections in five states. Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur. Polls will take place in these countries between January 28 and March 3.
Election Commission of India
According to the ECI's website, an overseas Indian can get registered/enrolled in the Electoral Roll and he/she has to file the application for the purpose in a prescribed Form 6A (available on the Indian mission's website) before the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of the constituency within which the place of ordinary residence of the applicant in India as given in his/her valid passport falls.
After enrolment, an overseas elector will be able to cast his vote in an election in the Constituency, in person, at the polling station provided for the part where he is registered as an overseas elector, the ECI website says. The application can be presented in person before the ERO or sent by post addressed to the ERO concerned. If the application is sent by post, it must be accompanied by a copy of the passport and all relevant documents mentioned in Form 6A duly attested by an officer of the Indian Mission in the country concerned, ECI said on its website.
Expatriates hail decision
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Dr BR Shetty, managing director and CEO of New Medical Centre (NMC) Speciality Hospitals, said: “I welcome the move of the Indian government which will benefit the Indian diaspora living overseas and invite more investments in India.” Dr Shetty said, as the Indian currency is down currently, many expats remitted money to India. In 2010 around $55 billion were remitted to India from overseas.
Dr A Titus at the Cosmopolitan Medical Centre in Abu Dhabi said, the pension and insurance plan of the government will benefit the low income group of expats, particularly. Giving voting rights to overseas Indians is a recognition for them, but I am not sure if it would invite more investments to India. Ameen Mohsin, an Indian expatriate who has been residing in Abu Dhabi for over a decade, said: “I was delighted to read this morning about the voting rights for NRIs. It is a dream come true for me. When I read it, I was sure that the next election in India will be a fair one as you know that most of the people working abroad are educated and when such people are given a chance to vote, the governme\nt we will have back home will be a good one. Wrong votes going into the ballot will be reduced.”
“Investment in India will not have a major impact as only a few have the capacity to invest and for them it is like any other day,” he added.
Comments
Add new comment