Russian nationals living in Kerala voted in the Russian presidential elections at a specially arranged booth at the Honorary Consulate of the Russian Federation, known as Russian House, located in Thiruvananthapuram.
Ratheesh Nair, the Honorary Consul of Russia and Director of the Russian House, mentioned that this was the third time they had organized polling for these elections. He expressed appreciation to Russian citizens in Kerala for their active participation in the voting process.
During an interview with ANI, Ratheesh Nair stated, “This is the third instance where the Consulate of the Russian Federation has facilitated polling for the Russian presidential elections. This service is primarily for Russian nationals residing here and also for tourists. We are pleased to collaborate with the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Russian citizens in Kerala for their cooperation and eagerness to exercise their voting rights in selecting their new president.”
Sergey Azurov, Senior Consul General in Chennai, expressed, “We are facilitating advance voting for the presidential elections to offer Russian citizens residing in India an opportunity to participate.”
Ulia, a Russian citizen, conveyed gratitude on behalf of fellow natives in Kerala to the Russian house and consulate general in India for enabling them to vote in the Presidential polls.
Speaking to ANI, Ulia elaborated, “Those present today are either Russian citizens living permanently in India or visiting tourists. Everyone is grateful and pleased to be part of this significant election, which is a responsibility for every citizen. We extend our thanks to the Russian house and the consulate general in Chennai for providing us with this opportunity.”
Russia is preparing for presidential elections scheduled from March 15 to 17. Russian citizens will cast their votes from Friday to Sunday across the 11 time zones of the country. According to CNN, Russia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) approved three candidates to contest against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The three candidates challenging Putin include Leonid Slutsky from the Liberal Democratic Party, Vladislav Davankov from the New People Party, and Nikolay Kharitonov from the Communist Party. These candidates are generally seen as pro-Kremlin and do not oppose Russia’s military actions against Ukraine.
