Nominees lose right to vote in NRI Sabha polls

Monday, 29/10/2012

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JALANDHAR: In a major initiative on poll reforms in NRI Sabha in Punjab, the right of a non-resident Indian’s (NRI) nominee to vote in the Sabha president’s election has been abolished.

The allegations and counterallegations regarding irregularities in allowing a section of nominees to vote during the last elections, despite being ineligible, had prompted the policy makers to devise a new formula necessitating the constitutional amendment.

The resolution seeking amendment to the Sabha constitution to this effect was approved by a majority vote during a specially convened annual general meeting here on Sunday. Out of more than 20,000 enrolled members, 119 participated in the proceedings.

A majority of the members raised their hands to support the resolution when it was read out by executive director Khushi Ram. A section of NRIs, however, wanted nominees based in foreign countries to be allowed to vote on their NRI member’s behalf.

Thereafter, former Sabha presidents KS Hayre and PS Naurangpur, along with former senior vice president JS Gill asked Jalandhar commissioner-cumacting chairman SR Ladhar to allow them to present additional amendments before the House.

Ladhar announced that certain suggestions forwarded by Hayre, Naurangpur and Gill would be read out in the House. Naurangpur read out four proposals and a majority of the participants raised their hands to give their nod.

The proceedings were over in 25 minutes even as several NRIs were seen criticising the organisers for not listening to their views on these amendments. “The copy of the agenda was not circulated to us in advance or during the meeting,” Mewa Singh, president of the Sabha’s Ropar unit, said. “This is unconstitutional.”

HS Minhas, a Canada-based NRI, said he didn’t get a formal invitation to the AGM and no one took his signatures in the proceedings book after adoption of the resolution. “I especially came from Sweden to attend the AGM, but I was not allowed to speak on the issue,” Albel Singh said. “I spent money on traveling to India to attend this meeting, which lasted only 20 minutes.”

Later Hayre, Gill and Naurangpur, who re ce nt l y resolved their differences to seek more financial and administrative rights for the president, instead of the chairman, said the four resolutions passed should be implemented after approval of the chief patron-cum-CM Parkash Singh Badal.