Russian citizens in Kerala cast vote in Parliament election

Alla Muravyeva, a psychologist hailing from Volgograd, said it was the first time that she exercised her franchise at a booth outside Russia.
Russians check candidates’ list before casting their vote at Russian Cultural Centre in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday | B P Deepu
Russians check candidates’ list before casting their vote at Russian Cultural Centre in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday | B P Deepu

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM :  Fifteen Russian citizens cast their vote for the Russian Parliament election at the polling booth set up in the Honorary Consulate of the Russian Federation in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. Ten other registrants did not turn up, presumably due to the Covid-19 situation.

Alla Muravyeva, a psychologist hailing from Volgograd, said it was the first time that she exercised her franchise at a booth outside Russia. “I’m happy to participate in it. It was also a pleasure to meet my fellow citizens here,” she told TNIE. Muravyeva is staying at Varkala for over a year. A good majority of the voters were living at the tourist destinations of Kovalam and Varkala.

According to Ratheesh C Nair, Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation, voters also included Russian citizens who married Keralites and have been living here, business persons and travellers. “The ballot box will be sent to Chennai first. The boxes from the South Indian booths will be sent to Russia through diplomatic baggage,” he said.

Ratheesh said it was the fourth Russian election hosted in Thiruvananthapuram and the previous one being the Russian presidential election held in March 2018. About 40 people had cast their votes then. The voters included Maria Borisova who hails from Penza city in Russia. Two years ago, she settled at Varkala after marrying a Keralite chef Nandu. 

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