NRIs to get voting rights soon: Centre to top court
The petitioners had submitted that over one crore people would be entitled to cast their vote if NRIs were allowed to vote from overseas.
New Delhi: The issue of voting rights of NRIs received a major boost with the Centre informing the Supreme Court on Friday that NRIs would be allowed to cast their votes in the Indian elections through proxy or an e-postal ballot system as suggested by the Election Commission.
Additional solicitor general Atmaram Nadkarni informed the bench that either the Representation of the People Act or the Rules framed thereunder would be amended to give effect to this proposal. Former attorney general Mukul Rohatgi appeared against the Centre and submitted that the issue was pending consideration for over three years and a direction should be given to the government.
Taking note of this submission, the bench granted a week’s time to the ASG to take a decision on whether to amend the act or the rules and posted the matter for further hearing on July 21.
The bench was also hearing a PIL filed by an NRI seeking such facility. The petitioners had submitted that over one crore people would be entitled to cast their vote if NRIs were allowed to vote from overseas.