Non-Residents will have a say in voting pattern in Kerala
Despite the hike in airfares, a large expatriate population from the Gulf countries are likely to be in the State; candidates or their poll managers too visit the Gulf region to garner NRKs’ support
Ahead of the Lok Sabha election, several candidates or their poll managers from constituencies in northern Kerala are embarking on visits to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations, especially the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Some have already paid their visit and returned. Their aim is to renew support from expatriates, both in terms of votes and funds, as the clout wielded by the community can sway the outcome, a fact that political parties are keenly aware of.
“Expatriates’ votes could be a determining factor in polls in at least five constituencies — Malappuram, Kasaragod, Kollam, Vadakara, and Thrissur,” said Attakoya Pallikkandy, chairman of the Pravasi Development, Rehabilitation and Welfare Centre based in Kozhikode.
The Malayali diaspora from Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts are mostly settled in the U.S., Canada, Australia, or the U.K. and rarely return to their homeland. On the other hand, those working in the GCC are closer to their roots.
The latest available statistics from the Election Commission show that there are around 88,000 expatriate voters from Kerala, of whom around 82,000 are men while around 6,000 are women.
However, it is a concern that majority of the eligible voters out of the 35 lakh NonResident Keralites (NRKs), including 25 lakh in GCC, have not applied for the suffrage rights. “It is not just the voting rights, but their influence on their families. Every NRK has at least four people back home whom he/she can influence,” said K.V. Shamsudheen, chairman of
UAEbased Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust.
Past two elections
Mr. Pallikandy claims that the expatriate population was instrumental in turning the tide in favour of the United Democratic Front in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll, while it was clearly in favour of the Left Democratic Front in the Assembly poll in 2021. Of the overseas voters, about 35,000 belong to Kozhikode district, followed by Malappuram district with 15,000. “About 30% of voters in Kozhikode district are either working in the GCC countries or their dependents are, or they are Gulfreturnees,” he said.
Incidentally, the lackadaisical approach of the Union government in making arrangements for them to exercise their franchise from the respective embassies or consulates has irked the expatriates in the GCC.