NOTA makes its debut, but doesn't leave mark

None of the above or NOTA option, introduced by the Election Commission as per a recent Supreme Court order, made a rather modest debut in the recently held assembly polls. Seen as a pioneering move to empower the voter to reject all candidates in a poll, NOTA polled just 0.63% of the valid votes in Delhi, followed by 1.9% in Madhya Pradesh and 1.92% in Rajasthan. The option, however, was exercised on a wider scale in Chhattisgarh, particularly in the Naxal-infested constituencies. The turnout in favor of NOTA in the state was recorded at 3.07% of the total valid votes. This was the first time voters in India were given the right to exercise the NOTA option. The EC had moved swiftly to implement the Sept 27 Supreme Court judgment directing it to introduce the option by adding NOTA button on the EVMs.

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