KOLLAM : Adithya A has been working in Dubai for the past two years. But he and his friends plan to travel to Kerala to exercise their franchise in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Arjun Siju, another Keralite working in the UAE city, has already arrived in Kerala.
With the general elections less than a month away, excitement is mounting among Malayalis in the Gulf countries. The role of NRI voters is crucial in the Parliament polls, particularly for Kerala which heavily relies on remittances from the Gulf.
According to the Election Commission, there are a total of 88,223 NRI voters from Kerala, with Kozhikode having the highest number at 34,909, followed by Malappuram with 15,106 voters.
"When we are in our native place, we are accustomed to participating in election campaigns and tours. Those memories motivate us to travel to Kerala for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as well," said Adithya, who hails from Kollam.
Arjun, too, wants to join the electioneering. "As a student, I used to campaign for my party, write captions and paint graffiti," reminisced.
"I don't want to miss that election vibe. This is the only time we openly speak about our political ideologies and aspirations to our friends and leaders. Several of my relatives are working in GCC countries and a few of them will reach home in time for the elections."
Several NRIs said that despite their contributions to Kerala, the government does not arrange any suitable platform in the Gulf countries for them to cast their votes. While candidates have reached the Gulf countries to court NRI votes, none have addressed issues like job crises, inflation, and escalating ticket fares, they complained.
Many Keralites have expressed a desire to return home to vote but the mounting airfares are a hindrance.
"Several candidates from Kerala have arrived here urging us to request our relatives back home to vote for them. However, for years, we have been requesting both the state and Union governments to facilitate voting arrangements here," said Ashiq Hussain, a financial professional working in Saudi Arabia.
"These critical issues are not being addressed by the candidates who have travelled a great distance for their election campaigns."
88,223 NRI voters
According to the Election Commission, there are a total of 88,223 NRI voters from Kerala, with Kozhikode having the highest number at 34,909, followed by Malappuram with 15,106 voters.