Has NOTA been altering influence of smaller parties, independents in Prayagraj?
The NOTA option, symbolising voter’s rejection of all running candidates & expressing disapproval of the available choices, was introduced during 2014 LS polls.
Since the inception of the NOTA (None of the Above) option on the poll ballot, it has notably outperformed numerous small political parties and independent candidates during the Lok Sabha polls, particularly in the Prayagraj region.
The NOTA option, symbolising a voter’s rejection of all running candidates and expressing their disapproval of the available choices, was introduced during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Analysis of data from the past two Parliamentary polls indicates that NOTA gained traction across all four seats of the Prayagraj region, encompassing Allahabad, Phulpur, Pratapgarh, and Kaushambi.
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While the percentage of NOTA votes has risen across all four seats, data highlights the most substantial increase on the Allahabad seat, where the NOTA percentage surged nearly fourfold in the 2019 polls compared to the 2014 elections.
In the 2014 elections for the Allahabad seat, there were a total of 23 candidates, and NOTA secured the 11th position in terms of options used. A total of 3,624 voters chose NOTA, constituting 0.22% of the total votes cast. In the 2019 elections, the percentage of NOTA votes increased to 0.86%. With 14 candidates in contention, NOTA climbed to the fifth position, following candidates from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Samajwadi Party (SP), Congress, and Communist Party of India (CPI).
Similarly, the NOTA vote percentage nearly doubled in the Phulpur parliamentary seat. In the 2014 elections, with 15 candidates competing, NOTA secured the fifth position. A total of 8,424 voters opted for NOTA, constituting 0.44% of the total votes cast. This percentage rose to 0.81% in the 2019 elections.
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In 2019, NOTA attained the fourth position among the 14 candidates contesting for this seat, trailing behind candidates from the BJP, SP, and Congress. NOTA was chosen by 7,882 voters. Interestingly, despite the considerable anticipation surrounding Shivpal Yadav’s party, Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party, which entered the fray with great fanfare, it was at 11th position, seven places behind NOTA.
The NOTA vote percentage more than doubled in the Pratapgarh parliamentary seat as well. In the 2014 elections, with 15 candidates in the running, NOTA secured the sixth position. A total of 9,098 voters opted for NOTA, representing 0.53% of the total votes cast. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, NOTA claimed the fifth position among the eight candidates vying for this seat, with 12,159 voters choosing it, increasing the NOTA vote percentage to 1.33%.
A similar trend was observed in the Kaushambi parliamentary seat. In the 2014 elections, with 11 candidates in contention, NOTA secured the fifth position, with 15,169 voters opting for it, constituting 0.87% of the total votes cast. This percentage rose to 1.51% in the 2019 elections. NOTA claimed the sixth position among the 12 candidates contesting from the Kaushambi seat in this election, with a total of 14,769 voters choosing it.
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Recognition in 2013, candidate status in 2018
NOTA was initially used in the United States in 1976 and later adopted by many countries. It was officially recognized in India in 2013. The Election Commission of India filed a petition in the Supreme Court in 2009 to introduce the NOTA option, but it couldn’t be implemented due to the lack of consent from the Central Government at that time.
On September 27, 2013, the Supreme Court of India ruled in favor of integrating the ‘none of the above’ option into ballots, mandating its inclusion in all electronic voting machines (EVMs). Consequently, the Election Commission introduced the NOTA option with a specific symbol, positioned in the last panel on all EVMs. In 2018, NOTA attained the status equivalent to that of a candidate in the fray.