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Proxy voting 'huge victory' for NRIs but concerns remain

Abu Dhabi - Till now, NRIs have to travel back to their constituency in India and vote.

The Lower House of Indian Parliament has passed a bill to amend the Representation of the People Act to allow non-resident Indians to vote in elections through a proxy. The move was largely welcomed by Indian residents in the UAE though some raised concerns over chances of misuse of such a facility.
The decision is the result of long-running efforts by Abu Dhabi-based businessman Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, who had, in April 2014, filed a petition in the Indian Supreme Court seeking the voting process to be made easier.
Till now, NRIs have to travel back to their constituency in India and vote.
"It is a huge victory for the entire NRI community. On behalf of the NRIs, I would like to extend our gratitude to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his support of this legislation, the Indian government and the Lok Sabha (Lower House) for their continuous support," Vayalil said.
VPS Healthcare chairman and managing director noted that some issues with regards to security needed to be addressed.
He is confident the Upper House (Rajya Sabha) will approve the bill and make dreams of the NRIs to vote a reality. "We commend Indian Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad for acknowledging the contributions of the millions of NRIs from all around the world. India is the top recipient of remittances with NRIs sending almost $70 billion home last year," Vayalil said.
Recognition for NRIs
India Social and Cultural Centre (ISC) president Ramesh V. Panicker said the government has finally recognised the community as a force in the process of nation-building.
"It's a dream come true for the Indian diaspora living around the world holding the NRI tag for many years. By passing the long-awaited proxy voting bill, the government and the parliament members reinforced their commitment to acknowledge NRIs as a reckoning force in the process of nation-building."
A game changer
According to official figures, 3.1 million Indians reside in the UAE and approximately half of them are from one south Indian state of Kerala. Many constituencies in past elections have been won or lost for thousand-odd votes. India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's NRI Cell Kerala Convener N Harikumar said proxy voting could be game-changer in next election.
"This reflects the level of interest shown towards us by the Narendra Modi government and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. This decision gives more power to the NRI community. This could be significant in small states like Kerala where margin of victory in some constituencies is only few hundred votes," Harikumar added.
Chances of misuse
Abu Dhabi Malayalee Samajam president T.A. Nasar noted that there was scope for many discrepancies.
"The Indian government and the Election Commission have to monitor procedures very carefully. Bogus voting is prevalent in Kerala election. There are many instances where a person goes to polling booth but someone must have already cast vote in his name. We are already facing such difficulties in the state. Also when we talk about proxy voting, a family member might have different political leanings and how can an NRI be sure the ballot is cast as per his or her wishes. Overall, I feel this is a good move," he added. 
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com