With Telangana’s upcoming elections just 45 days away, political parties are in the midst of candidate finalizations. The Election Commission has already disclosed that the state boasts 3.6 crore voters, with a recent addition of 8 lakh new registrants.
One significant development is the surge in the number of Non-Resident Indian (NRI) voters in Telangana, which has seen a substantial increase since the last elections in 2018.
In 2014, the state had a mere 5 NRI voters which might seem shocking to many, but this number grew to 244 in 2018 which was again very less, and as of 2023, it stands at an impressive 2,780. This growth is attributed to Telangana residents living abroad who have shown a keen interest in exercising their voting rights in their home state.
Among these NRI voters, 2,248 are men, 531 are women, and one identifies as transgender. Notably, except for the Bodh and Narayankhed constituencies, all of Telangana’s 117 remaining constituencies have registered NRI voters. The Malkajgiri constituency leads the pack with 206 NRI voters, followed by Uppal with 131 and Kukatpally with 102.
NRI voters do not possess special voter ID cards but can cast their ballots by presenting their original passports. Their details are recorded separately in the voter list.
It’s important to note that only those who have left the state for job and employment opportunities are eligible to register as voters in Telangana, and foreign citizens are not eligible.
