New Delhi: A bill seeking to provide voting rights to Indians living abroad (Non-Resident Indians) was introduced in the Upper House of the Indian Parliament on Saturday.
Moving the Representation of People (Amendment) Bill 2010, Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said the bill would enable the NRIs to participate in their home country's democratic process, which was their ‘legitimate’ wish.
Moily also explained the details regarding the manner of enrolment of NRIs, the mode of voting and conditionalities for contesting elections.
A 2006 draft of this proposed law was withdrawn as it did not have details regarding modalities on conferring voting rights to NRIs.
“The fresh bill is more comprehensive,” the Union minister said.
Underlining that the right to vote of NRIs was a legitimate one, Moily said the bill could not be brought earlier because of practical difficulties in enrolling NRIs in the electoral rolls and allowing them to cast votes from outside India.
“In pursuance of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice recommendations, it has been decided to withdraw the 2006 bill and introduce a fresh one in the current session of Parliament,” Moily said.