Kerala’s Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U. Kelkar addressed concerns over Form 6A’s ‘place of birth’ issue for overseas electors during a meeting in Thiruvananthapuram
Meeting on Form 6A for Overseas Electors
The issue of ‘place of birth’ related to Form 6A, which is for the enrollment of overseas electors in the electoral roll, was discussed at a meeting on Friday. The meeting was chaired by Chief Electoral Officer (Kerala) Rathan U. Kelkar and included organizations representing expatriate Keralites.
Mr. Kelkar addressed the online meeting, which was arranged through the Loka Kerala Sabha. This meeting was part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll. The organizations sought clarity on the challenges faced by citizens born outside India when filling out the form.
Mr. Kelkar informed the organizations that steps will be taken to resolve the technical issues related to Form 6A.
Concerns Raised by Political Parties
Political parties have repeatedly urged the Election Commission to include a ‘Born outside India’ option in addition to the list of Indian States. They argue that the absence of this option prevents Indian citizens born abroad from completing Form 6A. P.K. Kunhalikutty, MLA, highlighted this issue in a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Thursday. He noted that nearly 15 days had passed out of the thirty-day period for filing claims, yet the “anomaly” in Form 6A and the online portal remained unresolved.
Attendance and Verification Process
More than 100 representatives from various organizations attended the online meeting, according to Mr. Kelkar’s office. The CEO explained that overseas electors and VIPs can complete the verification process by submitting necessary documents without needing to appear in person. This mechanism is now operational on ERONET of the Election Commission.
Mr. Kelkar stated that more meetings will be held with organizations representing overseas electors if needed.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Meeting Date | Friday |
| Chairperson | Rathan U. Kelkar |
| Organizations Present | Expatriate Keralites |
| Participants | More than 100 |
| Letter Recipient | Gyanesh Kumar |
| MLA | P.K. Kunhalikutty |
| Online Portal | ERONET |
