1Ph. D Scholar, Department of Sociology and Social Work Acharya Nagarjuna University, Nagarjuna Nagar, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh
2MSW, M.A, Ph. D Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Social Work Acharya Nagarjuna University, Nagarjuna Nagar, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh
Online published on 8 August, 2018.
In India, the right to vote is provided by the Constitution and the Representative of People's act 1951, subject to certain disqualification. Article 326 of the Constitution guarantees the Right to Vote to every Citizen above the age of 18. Representative of the people Act 1951, 61(1) No person shall vote at a general election in more than one constituency of the same class and if a person votes in more than one such constituency, his vote in all such constituency shall be void.
Representative of the people Act, 1980(17) No person to be registered in more than one Constituency-no person shall be entitled to be registered in the electoral roll for more than one constituency. However, on the ground it is evident that internal migrants, especially those who stay for long time are registered both at the source and at the destination area constituency. On the other hand there are many whose name are scrubbed of due to absence at the source area and don't have a voting right at the destination area as the process of registration is havoc to the migrant who have no information or awareness about voting rights.
Due to various difficulties faced by the migrants they are not able to exercise there voting right, review of literature reveal that non residing Indians are focused more regarding making voting rights available and the internal migrants are neglected.
This paper is an attempt to review the status of Right to Vote of the internal migrants in India, and understand the obstacles they face in exercising their constitutional right “Right to Vote.”
Internal migration, right to vote, migrants, Representation of people act
