The Centre on Friday said it was ready to amend the Representation of People’s Act in order to allow non-resident Indians to vote in the country’s elections without having to travel to India. Attorney General K K Venugopal sought two weeks’ time to submit a reply regarding changes to be made in the Act, ANI reported.
Venugopal said that a group of ministers had met to decide on extending voting facilities to NRIs. “It has been decided that an amendment will be drafted and presented before the Parliament,” he said in the apex court, according to News18. However, the attorney general said it was not possible to bring the Bill before the Parliament in the ongoing Monsoon Session.
On July 14, the apex court had asked whether the Centre will amend the law or rules that allow voting rights to NRIs, giving it week to decide.
Earlier in July, the Election Commission had told the Centre that it can initiate the process of granting voting rights for NRIs within three months of the law being introduced, the Hindustan Times had reported. Nasim Zaidi, who was the chief election commissioner at the time, had said that the poll panel was ready to implement the one-way postal ballot system, if the government was to allow it.
The law will allow more than 10 million NRIs to vote in the country’s elections without having to be physically present at the poling stations.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!