Indian expats travel home to vote in elections
With the Indian parliamentary polls and a number of state elections being held together, many of the country’s expats in Oman make the journey back home to vote
Times News Service
MUSCAT: While Indian expatriates in Oman say they are planning to go to India to take part in the ongoing elections, others have already reached home in order to vote.
With the elections running from April 11 to May 19, 2019, and a final count and results expected on May 23, Indians in Oman want to ensure they vote for the right candidate.
Current Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, and the Indian National Congress’ Rahul Gandhi are expected to be the front runners in this election.
Kumar Jeeban was very clear about who was going to get his vote. He said: “My vote is only for Modi, Modi and Modi. I am going to India soon.”
Sachin Kashyap was also of a similar mindset, adding, “I already reached here to vote because we want Modi again. Vinith Puthran said he had also already reached India. He said: “My vote is for Modi. NaMo again”. Hameed Ali added, “I am happy to be in India to vote again for Modi.”
Many other Indians are also travelling to India to vote in the elections, which will take place in phases over more than a month.
Asish Kumar Nayak said, “Yes I am travelling for the elections,” and Afzal Hussain said he would vote for the Congress, saying: “I’m already in India and will vote for Rahul Gandhi” Amit Kumar will be going to India.
“Yes, I am travelling to vote for Modi,” he said, as will Lalit Harsh, who added, “I will go in the last week of April and will vote to remove BJP and welcome Congress.”
Regardless of how people chose to vote, Indian community representatives in Oman said it was an honour and a privilege for people to make their votes count back home.
Sandeep Karnik, Convener of the Indian Social Club Oman’s Marathi Wing, said: “If you are able to vote, and you don’t, what is the point of having this ability?” he asked.
‘Chance to be heard’
“You have to vote for the candidate of your choice. People keep saying ‘politics is like this’ or ‘politics is like that, but at the end of the day, you are given a chance to go to elections and make your vote count. The vote is for you. If you don’t use your vote, then your voice will not be heard and someone else will get the chance to make their vote count. Please go and vote for the right candidate at this election.”
Karunakar Rao, Convener of the Karnataka Wing, added: “Voting is a great chance to shape our future government; it is a chance for us to tell the government how we want our ambitions to be achieved, and how we want our problems to be solved. It is not easy to make that happen, so if you don’t vote, then you cannot complain later”