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Congress candidate extends campaign to UAE
Shafi Parambil is the UDF candidate in the Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency.
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Shafi Parambil has extended his election campaign to the Gulf countries. / Image - X @shafi_parambil_
A politician from Kerala has extended his election campaign to the Gulf countries to attract votes from the Non-Resident Indians.
Shafi Parambil belongs to the United Democratic Front (UDF) party, which is part of the Indian National Congress-led alliance in the state. He will be contesting the upcoming election in the Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency against prominent CPM leader K K Shailaja and BJP's Praful Krishna.
During the weekend, Parambil arrived in the United Arab Emirates and campaigned among the expat community in Qatar. He addressed a gathering of NRIs convened by the Sharjah Indian Association.
The Congress leader urged NRIs to consider returning home to vote if it was feasible for them financially. The general elections for all 20 constituencies in Kerala are scheduled for April 26.
The Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency comprises seven legislative assembly constituencies situated across the districts of Kannur and Kozhikode. While Vadakara, Koyilandy, Perambra, Nadapuram, and Kuttiyadi are located in the Kozhikode district, Thalassery and Koothuparamba belong to the Kannur district.
According to reports, all of these regions have a significant population of NRI voters, primarily residing in the Gulf regions. Nadapuram, Kuttiyadi, and Koothuparamba have the highest concentration of NRI voters, many of whom are settled in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Can Indians living abroad vote?
An Indian living abroad, who has not acquired citizenship of another country and is above the age of 18, is eligible to be registered as a voter in the constituency where their place of residence in India, as mentioned in their passport, is located.
To enroll in the electoral roll, such an individual must submit an application in prescribed Form 6A to the Electoral Registration Officer/Assistant Electoral Registration Officer of the constituency where their place of ordinary residence in India, is indicated as in their passport.
The Election Commission states that after enrollment, the overseas elector must be physically present at the specified polling station in their constituency to cast their vote.
During the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, 25,606 registered NRI voters returned to India to vote in various constituencies, with the majority, 25,091, casting their votes in Kerala.
NRI voters also turned out in significant numbers to vote during the last Assembly Elections in Kerala in 2021. Many of them traveled on chartered flights arranged by certain organizations that covered the cost of their flight tickets.
Despite NRI voters gaining the right to register in the electoral rolls over a decade ago, the government still needs to approve options such as proxy voting or e-postal ballots for them.
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