India election: overseas Indians love Modi. Most can’t vote, but will they still sway the polls?
- Only Indian citizens can vote in India’s elections. But that hasn’t stopped Prime Minister Narendra Modi working hard to woo the diaspora
- Surveys show Modi and his ruling BJP enjoy higher levels of support among overseas Indians than even those at home – and their approval has an impact
But the advertising executive is not even able to vote in the polls – he is a British citizen of Indian origin who has long been an admirer of Modi’s policies. There is a sense of pride among many ethnic Indians overseas like Tiwari in Modi’s vision, and a feeling that his Bharatiya Janata Party-led government is charting the right path for the country’s future.
“I would rather support people who are putting energy into creating a New India,” Tiwari said. “Modi may not be humble or 100 per cent correct every time, but he seems to be making an effort and the fortunes of the nation are changing.”
The Indian diaspora’s strong endorsement of Modi and his government can be clearly seen in the opinion polls.
Support among overseas Indians – foreigners of Indian origin and Indian nationals living abroad – has been consistently 15 to 20 per cent higher than those living in India, according to Yashwant Desmukh, founder of Indian pollster C-Voter.
“Modi has consistently been a darling of non-resident Indians [NRIs]. I guess the biggest contribution of NRIs is building on the narrative [of the rise of India]. They have tried to convince family members back home on how to vote,” Desmukh said, adding that Modi’s “aggressive” style of leadership and confidence in conducting himself among world leaders have been welcomed by the Indian diaspora.
