(Byline requested)
Non Resident Indians (NRI) will have to wait longer to be able to vote by postal ballots, as Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said on Friday that the facility would not be extended to NRIs for the upcoming elections to the Assam, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and West Bengal assemblies.
The Election Commission had written to the Law Ministry on November 27, 2020 with the proposal of extending postal ballots to overseas electors.
“The Commission is technically and administratively ready to extend this facility in general elections to legislative assemblies of Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry,” the EC’s letter to the Ministry said.
After announcing the election schedule for the four States and one Union Territory on Friday evening, Mr. Arora said NRIs would not get the postal ballot facility this time. He said that after the EC sent its note to the Law Ministry, it was referred to the Ministry of External Affairs. Mr. Arora said he had spoken to the Foreign Secretary and the MEA was of the opinion that a wider meeting of stakeholders be held. He said a meeting would be organised during the period of the five elections.
Another EC official said extending postal ballots to NRIs would take some time as an amendment was required.
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