Ahead of polls, Kerala speeds up drive to register expatriates in final voter list

Kannur: Political parties in Kerala have intensified efforts, both domestically and abroad, to identify and register expatriates who were not included in the final voter list following the SIR. This push is expected to increase the number of expatriate voters ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.

According to official data, a total of 2,23,558 expatriates have now been included in the voter list after the completion of the SIR. The districts of Kozhikode, Kannur, and Malappuram continue to have the highest number of expatriate voters. While this marks a significant rise compared to previous years, only a small fraction of the estimated expatriates have so far been registered.

The 2023 Kerala Migration Survey revealed that around 22 lakh Malayalis are currently living abroad, with 80.5 per cent residing in Gulf countries. In response, political parties are intensifying efforts in the Malabar region to include as many expatriates as possible in the voter list. Gram Panchayat-level camps are being organised to facilitate registration.

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The United Democratic Front (UDF) has launched the first phase of voter list verification, focusing on three to four booths. Panchayat-level initiatives will coordinate efforts to identify and register unlisted expatriates. Similarly, expatriate organisations of the Congress and Indian Union Muslim League, such as the OICC-INCAS and KMCC, have begun operations in Gulf countries. District Congress Committee presidents and other party officials are scheduled to attend special meetings in Gulf nations in the coming days.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) is also actively working to include more expatriates in voter lists within their strongholds. Preparations are underway to encourage maximum voter turnout, taking advantage of the Eid al-Fitr and Vishu festival periods.

In the last Lok Sabha elections, 89,839 expatriates were on the voter list, of whom only 2,670 cast their votes.