A Congress minister said here Saturday the 'none of the above' (NOTA) voting option should not be applied in Jammu and Kashmir as it would strengthen the separatist campaign in the state.
"The NOTA option for voting would only strengthen the hands of the separatists," Medical Education Minister Chowdhary Taj Mohiuddin said at an official function in Gandhi Nagar area of the winter capital Jammu.
"I have written a letter to the prime minister and the Congress high command that the option of NOTA should not be applicable in Jammu and Kashmir, as it would be used by separatists for their anti-election campaign," he said.
Many leaders of the Congress-National Conference ruling coalition have been opposing the introduction of the NOTA voting option on electronic voting machines (EVMs) during the forthcoming Lok Sabha and the state assembly elections to be held in 2014.
Senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani, whose house arrest restrictions were lifted by the authorities earlier this month, has been travelling to different parts of the Valley as part of his anti-election campaign.
Geelani has been drawing large crowds at his public meetings. He said participation in the election process gives legitimacy to Indian rule in Kashmir and asked people to stay away from it.