Kerala polls: First charter flight with NRI voters arrives at Karipur Airport
April 10th, 2011 - 7:04 pm ICT by ANIBy Juhan Samuel
Karipur Airport (Kerala), Apr 10 (ANI): With Kerala gearing up for the April 13 assembly polls, for the first time ever a flight full of voters from UAE, Rassel Khema region arrived at the Karipur Airport here this morning to fully utilise and enjoy their electoral right.
One sixty-six NRI passengers, who arrived here on board RAK Airways, termed their journey to be historic.
The trip was planned by the Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC), an affiliate of the United Democratic Front working in the Gulf region to enable the Indians working in the Gulf region to cast their vote.Many of them, who will be voting in their own county for the first time, believe that this is a significant step for the millions of overseas Indians to choose a good government, which can help them when they return home after retirement.
O.K Ibrahim, a NRI voter, who has been working in the Gulf for years, appeared to be very happy, as he will be casting his vote for the first time after a gap of 20 years.
“Till now, the government has done nothing much for the Pravasi like us, so it becomes our responsibility to change the present government that is why we have taken all the risk to come here,” said Ibrahim.
The price of the ticket for the flight was 620 dirhams. The KMCC, however, took good care of those, who did not have enough money to purchase the tickets.
According to the KMCC officials, many more people are awaiting to book charter flights to come to Kerala before April 13 so that they get the chance to exercise their voting franchise.
As per the KMCC estimate, more than 500 NRIs are visiting the constituencies of Malappuram, Kozhikode and Kannur.
The elections to the 140-member Kerala Legislative Assembly will take place on April 13. (ANI)
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Tags: assembly polls, charter flight, charter flights, constituencies, democratic front, enough money, first charter, franchise, gap, indians, kmcc, kozhikode, legislative assembly, muslim, nris, pravasi, present government, price of the ticket, rak airways, uae