Voting rights: After NRIs, move to include migrants

The government was also considering a demand for granting similar voting rights for migrants in the country who leave their native places and go to other states for work, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) P L Narasimha said.

“The effort has been made by them,” a bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu said after Narasimha made the statement on the issue.

The ASG also informed the bench that a committee has been set up to look into the issue of voting rights for <g data-gr-id="21">migrantsand</g> its report will be submitted by September 15.

The bench, which also comprised Justices Arun Mishra and Amitava Roy, observed that the issue of extending voting rights to migrants, who move from one place to another in search of job, through postal ballots was being examined by the Election Commission.

The bench posted the matter for hearing after two months saying more time has to be given as the magnitude of work involved was enormous.

The issue of migrants was raised by advocate Prashant Bhushan who said since effort was being made to take care of the rights of NRIs, personnel of services and government officials, the same should be extended to the migrants.

The court was hearing a batch of petitions filed by <g data-gr-id="28">Nagender</g> Chindam, who is the Chairman of London-based Pravasi Bharat organisation and other NRIs including Shamsheer VP on the issue. During the last hearing on April 13, the apex court had said it cannot order the legislature to make or amend a law within a particular time-frame and had granted time to the Centre to effect changes in statutes to extend voting rights to NRIs through postal ballots.