Emigrants form 8% of the state electorate, and are active participants in homeland affairs. The extent to which war has deterred them from travelling to vote this time, may affect a closely fought election’s outcome
As Kerala votes today, an important question is, whether the Israel-US war against Iran will impact voter participation, and electoral outcome. Because it’s thrown the Gulf Cooperation Council region, which accommodates a large number of overseas Keralites, into turmoil. The new ceasefire may have come too close to election day, to offset war’s damper.