Centre to amend RP act to allow NRIS to vote

New Delhi Nov 14: In a move to ensure that NRI's too participate in the Indian elections the Central government would soon introduce a bill to amend the Representation of People (RP) Act in the winter session of the parliament.

The Government has told the supreme court that this move would ensure that NRI can vote using e-ballots or postal ballots in the Indian elections.

Earlier Attorney General K K Venugopal on July 21 had told the court that "NRIs could not be allowed to vote by merely changing the rules made under the Representation of People (RP) Act and a Bill was needed to be introduced in Parliament to amend the Act itself to grant the voting rights."

The Supreme court has "ordered the Centre to decide whether it would amend the electoral law or rules to allow NRIs to vote by postal or e-ballots in the polls in the country, taking note of the fact that the Centre and the Election Commission of India (ECI) were agreeable to the report of a panel that NRIs might be allowed to vote."

The Poll panel was also favorable for allowing NRIs to vote and has submitted its report in this regard.

Currently, the NRIs find it difficult to vote because of the tight schedule and also huge expenses involved for traveling to the country and often their names might not be revised in the voter list.