Not many takers for NOTA in these assembly polls

In Jharkhand, a small implicit 1 per cent (1.32 per cent) of the electorate exercised the option.

According to the EC, Maharashtra witnessed a 65.02 per cent elector turnout successful its single-phase polls connected November 20.
Jharkhand recorded a elector turnout of 66.65 per cent successful the archetypal signifier and 68.45 per cent successful the 2nd signifier connected November 13 and November 20, respectively.

In the erstwhile acceptable of assembly polls, much voters successful Jammu and Kashmir utilized the NOTA enactment against those successful Haryana.

In the elections to the 90-member Haryana Assembly, retired of implicit 2 crore electors, 67.90 per cent had exercised their franchise. Of these, 0.38 per cent had utilized the NOTA option.

Introduced successful 2013, the NOTA enactment connected physics voting machines (EVMs) has its ain awesome — a ballot insubstantial with a achromatic transverse crossed it.

The EC added the NOTA fastener connected EVMs arsenic the past enactment connected the voting sheet aft a September 2013 Supreme Court order. Before the apex court’s order, those not inclined to ballot for immoderate campaigner had the enactment of filling what is popularly called Form 49-O.

But filling retired the signifier astatine the polling presumption nether Rule 49-O of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, compromised the secrecy of the voter.

The Supreme Court had, however, refused to nonstop the EC to clasp caller polls if the bulk of the electorate exercised the NOTA enactment portion voting.

Recently, erstwhile main predetermination commissioner OP Rawat had said, “In the contiguous situation, NOTA has lone symbolic value and it cannot person an interaction connected the predetermination effect of immoderate seat.” “More than 50 per cent electors volition person to opt for NOTA successful a spot to amusement the governmental assemblage that they bash not see candidates with transgression backgrounds oregon different undeserving ones worthy of their votes. Only aft this, unit connected Parliament and the Election Commission volition summation and they volition person to deliberation astir changing laws to marque NOTA effectual connected the predetermination results,” helium had said.