NRIs' voting rights: Bill to be tabled this session

Government will introduce a bill in Parliament during its on-going Budget Session for providing voting rights to NRIs, Vayalar Ravi said.

Government will introduce a bill in Parliament during its on-going Budget Session for providing voting rights to non-resident Indians, Minister for Overseas Indians Affairs (MOIA) Vayalar Ravi said on Thursday.

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The bill was aimed at making amendments in Section 20 of the Representation of People's Act so as to explain in detail the definition of "ordinarily resident" in the Act.

The Union Cabinet had on Wednesday night cleared amendments to Representation of People's Act Bill to provide voting rights to non-resident Indians, a long-standing demand of people living abroad.

Under the amended law, Indian nationals residing abroad and absent from their place of their ordinary residence in India owing to their employment, education or otherwise can include their names in the electoral rolls and thus exercise their voting rights.

The amendment bill will entitle the eligible citizens of India to cast their votes in Parliamentary and assembly elections when they are in their constituency and thus fully participate in the democratic process of nation-building and uphold their pride and prestige as citizens of India.