Lok Sabha Elections 2024: NRIs fly back home to exercise franchise in Karnataka

Haveri/Bagalkot/Karwar: Several NRIs based in the USA, Europe, Australia and Middle-East flew down to their natives to exercise their franchise.

Bhavana Shivananda, a native of Haveri and a resident of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, returned to her native to cast her vote. She exercised her franchise at a Lions School booth.

“Voting is a sacred right. We should vote to elect an efficient leader for the development of the nation. I spend a month’s salary to fly back home once every five years to vote. It is unfortunate that the voting percentage in cities like Bengaluru is very low,” Bhavana told DH.

Chaitra Surendra Hajare, who is pursuing her MS at Kaiserslautern university in Germany, returned to her native Rabakavi-Banahatti in Bagalkot district to cast her maiden vote.

Not many Bhatkal natives settled in Middle-East returned home to vote despite an assurance of reimbursing flight charges by the Jamaat.

Chaitra Hajare with father Surendra.