‘Demand to vote by NRIs driven by desire to contest elections’
By IANSFriday, February 4, 2011
NEW DELHI - The demand to vote by the Non Resident Indian (NRI) population is fuelled by a desire to contest elections, feels Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi.
On Thursday, the government notified rules that NRIs who hold Indian passports and have not acquired citizenship of another country can vote in elections in India. They can also contest elections.
“Anyone on the electoral roll can contest elections and I have a feeling that the demand to vote by the NRI population was driven by the desire to contest,” Quraishi said.
Responding to a query if the commission would do anything to help Indian workers in the Gulf countries who want to vote here but whose passports are held by their employers, Quraishi said that passports are required as a proof to enrol in the electoral list.
“Otherwise, the embassy there can certify that the passport is indeed held by the employer and inform us that the person has not taken another country’s citizenship, so then it will be a valid demand,” he said.
