Srinagar, Oct 8: The ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) option in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections has surpassed 46% of the 880 candidates across 90 constituencies, outperforming 412 candidates according to data accessed from the Election Commission of India’s website.
In several key constituencies, NOTA outperformed a significant number of candidates. For instance, in the Bahu constituency of Jammu, NOTA surpassed eight out of 13 candidates, and in Baramulla, 12 out of 25 candidates were outperformed by the option. Central Shalteng and Habba Kadal also saw similar trends, where eight out of 13 and eight out of 16 candidates, respectively, fell behind NOTA in vote counts.
The Ganderbal constituency saw 10 out of 15 candidates trailing behind NOTA, while in Hazratbal, nine out of 13 candidates were outvoted by the option. Jammu North had 11 of the 17 candidates falling behind NOTA, while in Langate, nine out of 15 candidates met the same outcome.
In Jammu’s R S Pura constituency, 10 out of 14 candidates were overtaken by NOTA, while nine out of 13 candidates in Shangus Anantnag also fell behind. Udhampur West saw nine out of 12 candidates surpassed by the NOTA option.
The details also revealed that 1.48% of the voters opted for NOTA with the number remains relatively low compared to the overall turnout of 63.88%.
Pertinent to mention, NOTA, an option which provides voters a way to reject all candidates was introduced to the Indian electoral system in 2013 following a Supreme Court order. Before its introduction, voters had to fill out Form 49-O, but this compromised their anonymity. The Supreme Court, however, refrained from mandating fresh elections if a majority opted for NOTA.
The then ECI Chief while commenting on the limited impact of NOTA had described it as a symbolic gesture. “More than 50% of voters would have to choose NOTA to pressure the political establishment into reconsidering laws and procedures.”
