Chennai: Nota, the option to voters to reject all candidates, in the electronic voting machines has now reached a saturation point of recording between one to two per cent of total votes polled. A closer look at Nota votes reveals that patronage for the option in bypolls are marginally decreasing. In 2013 Yercaud bypoll, 4,431 voters opted for Nota and in the next Alandur bypoll in 2014, the votes dipped by 200. And in Srirangam Nota recorded just 1,919 votes. In the recently concluded R K Nagar bypoll 2,376 had pressed the Nota button.
Though initially, political parties feared that the option would eat into their vote bank, Nota had not created any dent for political parties in TN, a senior election official said. In 2013, Nota was introduced at Yercaud bypoll where, above 4,000 voters opted for Nota and it was encouraging. In an Assembly constituency of about 2.5 lakh voters, at least three thousand to two thousand voters opt for Nota, the official said.
“Voters who want to register their displeasure or unhappy with the candidates usually prefer Nota and our job is to ensure that the maximum number of people vote and Nota is a choice,” said joint chief electoral officer A. Sivagnanam. The option did better in the last Lok Sabha polls, particularly in seats considered to be backward. For instance during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the Nilgiris recorded the maximum of 46,000 Nota votes. Besides Nota, the option of 49 (0), where a voter can enter a polling station and return without voting was also provided. The choice was with the voters, Sivagnanam explained.
Reacting to option of Nota in EVMs, political commentator A. Gnani said Nota was an option without any power and did not impact the result of an election and for this reason Nota could never become popular. Even if Nota registered the maximum number of votes, the results were in favour of a candidate with more votes.
If Nota was given more teeth like there should be a re-poll if Nota crosses some 40 per cent mark or if Nota recorded maximum votes there has to be fresh polls, the objective of Nota will be achieved. In short, the Nota option should be now explored in a way that would impact the poll process, Gnani added.
“As a party district secretary, I personally had apprehension with Nota. In my view Nota has lost its significance as it has failed to create a dent in vote share of TN political parties”, said Arani Srinivasan, Central Chennai district secretary of Puthiya Needhi Katchi. However, in close contests Nota was a threat.
