India’s apex court has asked the country’s poll panel to explore the possibility of allowing postal ballot for non-resident Indians (NRIs) in the next month’s staggered general elections.

“The Supreme Court has issued notices to the government and the election commission of India seeking to know why the diaspora voters can’t exercise their right by post since it’s too late to build an electronic voting platform,” lawyer Haris Beeran said on telephone from New Delhi.

Beeran, who represented the petitioner along with Harish Salve, quoted Justice Radhakrishnan, who headed the bench that heard the plea, wondering why it took so long for such an important issue of denying franchise to a large section of people to reach the court.

“Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati told the court that the government’s view was also in favor of bringing in a system that enabled the diaspora to participate in the elections and vote at their convenience,” he told Arab News.

The Attorney General and the ECI were directed to reply before April 7, on the first day of polling, so that the enrolled voters from Kerala, home to majority of NRI voters which goes to polls on April 10 in the third phase, can participate. Counting will take place only on May 16.

Of the 11,844 enrolments so far, 11,448 are from the southwestern state whose diaspora population is estimated to be more than two million in the Gulf alone. Since the number of voters is small, setting up polling stations at the diplomatic missions is also an option.

As per the official data, 10,037,761 Indians live abroad and they are entitled to register online and vote if they were present in their constituency at the time of polling. However, most of them preferred not to enroll, as they were not sure of voting due to restrictions.