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New Delhi, More than 10 years after a Supreme Court judgement paved way for introduction of the <keyword id="20335981" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nota" source="keywords">NOTA</keyword> button on EVM for polls, the number of voters choosing it still remains low, with the experts dubbing it as a "toothless tiger" with no implications on the results. NOTA (None of the Above) was introduced in India through the Supreme Court's judgement in September 2013. The need to introduce NOTA was felt to discourage the parties from fielding tainted candidates. The Supreme Court directed the Election Commission to make necessary provision in the ballot papers/EVMs so that the voters can decide not to vote for any of the candidates in the fray. Introduced in 2013, the NOTA option on electronic voting machines has its own symbol - a ballot paper with a black cross across it. After the Supreme Court order in September 2013, the Election Commission added the NOTA button on the EVMs as the last option on the voting panel. One ballot unit has 16 buttons. Before the apex court order, those not inclined to vote for any candidate had the option of filling what is popularly called form 49-O. But filling out the form at the polling station under Rule 49-O of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, compromised the secrecy of the voter. However, even as NOTA has secured over 1.29 crore votes in the state assembly elections and the <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> elections combined in the last five years, the number of candidates with criminal records has increased in both the general and the assembly elections. According to a report by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), the share of MPs with declared criminal cases against them has been increasing in the last decade. While 30 per cent elected MPs had criminal cases against them in 2009, which went up. Of the 543 winners analysed by the ADR in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, 162 (30 per cent) had declared criminal cases against them, with 76 (14 per cent) had serious criminal cases against them. In 2019, the share of MPs with criminal and serious criminal cases increased to 43 per cent and 29 per cent. "NOTA has made no difference as far as criminality is concerned, in fact the number of candidates with criminal cases has increased," Major General (Retd) Anil Verma, Head of ADR, told PTI. "The concept of NOTA was that some pressure would be on the parties not to field tainted candidates. It has not happened," he said. Overall in different state and general elections, votes polled on NOTA have been between .5 per cent to 1.5per cent, according to data compiled by the ADR. It secured around 1.06 per cent votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, and among states, highest was when it got 1.98 percent of the total votes in the 2018 Chhattisgarh Assembly polls. The lowest number of votes NOTA in the Lok Sabha was 100 votes in Lakshadweep, and among the state polls, it secured the lowest percentage of vote share - 0.46 percent in both the Delhi State Assembly Elections, 2020, and the Mizoram State Assembly Elections, 2018. "Unfortunately, it turned out to be a toothless tiger. It merely provided a platform to express dissent or one's anger for political parties to take note and nothing more," <keyword id="20887282" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="maj-gen-verma" source="keywords">Maj Gen Verma</keyword> (Retd) said. He, however, pointed out that overall, the percentage of NOTA votes in seats reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribe has been slightly higher, which may indicate there are more grievances among these groups. "In the reserved constituencies, we have seen the percentage of NOTA votes are higher. Perhaps the tribals and SCs have more grievances so they go in larger numbers for NOTA," he said. Constituency wise, NOTA has secured as high as 27,500 votes in Maharashtra's Latur Rural constituency, a seat reserved for the SC community, over 13 per cent of the total votes. NOTA got the second spot, with Congress' Dhiraj Deshmukh winning with over 67 per cent of the total votes. In 'Red Alert Constituencies', the seats with three or more candidates with criminal cases contesting the elections, NOTA secured 26, 77,616 votes (26.77 lakhs) in the state assembly elections since 2018. It ranges from 1.63 per cent in Bihar in 217 red alert constituencies to 0.43 per cent in Delhi. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the highest number of NOTA votes (51,660) were polled in Bihar's Gopalganj, another reserved SC constituency, where it secured the third spot getting 5.03 per cent of the total votes. Axis India chairman <keyword id="20816878" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pradeep-gupta" source="keywords">Pradeep Gupta</keyword> said there is a requirement to give more teeth to the NOTA option. "I believe that candidates, who have lost against NOTA should not get a chance to contest again. That is what the logic is all about. Since there is no such rule, many voters think what is the point of choosing NOTA," Gupta told PTI. "In 2014, 1.08 pc voters chose NOTA, the percentage was 1.06 pc in 2019. It is a sizeable number but I believe it is more due to error and less due to intention," Gupta said. "But if a rule is brought in barring the rejected candidates from contesting again, I believe the number will go up like anything. The political parties understand the sensitivity of this and that is why I believe no one will favour such a law and hence NOTA is a toothless option," he added. Calls have also been made for scrapping NOTA. Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel had last year sought scrapping NOTA, stating that in certain cases it polled more votes than winning margin. In 2018, the Supreme Court had ruled that NOTA option should not be given in the <keyword id="19895369" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajya-sabha" source="keywords">Rajya Sabha</keyword> elections.

None of the Above or NOTA toothless without right to reject, say experts

Expanded as ‘None of the Above’, NOTA is a button option one can find in the EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) used for the state and parliamentary <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/10-things-to-know-about-nota-a-voter-s-right-to-reject/story-SkX0EsDQbjG5e2sz0L5N9H.html">elections </a>conducted after 2013 in India. Introduced for the first time in 2013, NOTA has so far figured in 37 assembly elections and one Lok Sabha election till date. The Association of Democratic Reforms, an NGO connected to electoral research has found out that NOTA secured 1.33 crore votes in the elections held between 2013 and 2017. So what is NOTA and how does it impact the results of election? In September 2017, the Supreme Court of India emphasized on the importance of introducing NOTA option in the EVMs in a move to uphold the right of the electors to reject all the candidates contesting in a given election. The Supreme Court said this measure will play a crucial role in helping us cleanse the political system. The statistical information got from NOTA will also help in making a number of conclusions regarding the contesting candidates and the general perceptions and opinions of the voters. As part of the electoral reforms, the Apex Court ordered the Election Commission of India to introduce an option of ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) on the EVMs and also the ballot papers. About NOTA Usually we find the NOTA option at the end of the list of candidates contesting in a constituency. As per the earlier system, the electors were free to exercise the negative ballot option. However, to do it, they will have to contact the presiding officer in the polling booth. They had to cast their vote in a separate ballot paper and enter their name in a register kept for this purpose. Supreme Court said this system was unconstitutional as it failed to protect the voter’s identity. The introduction of NOTA option in the voting machines does not require one should contact the presiding officer and it also helps maintain the anonymity of the voter casting it. Does NOTA make any difference in the outcome of elections? A senior officer in the <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/india/vote-of-discontent-how-does-nota-impact-the-election-results-2069407.html">Election Commission</a> said NOTA will hardly have any impact on the results of an election. In the first place, NOTA was introduced with an idea that more choices will give way to a higher turnout of voting in the elections. NOTA will give an option to the voters to express their disapproval of all the candidates contesting in the election and provide a way to express their disenchantment in the contemporary political system of the country. NOTA does not affect the outcome of the elections. Even if the count of NOTA is significantly higher than the number of votes any candidate has secured in a given constituency, the candidate with the highest number of votes will still be declared as the winner. An analysis of the past elections after the introduction of NOTA tells us that the number of NOTA votes cast is significantly low. However, it is still found to be considerable in amount. Studies also show that NOTA is steadily increasing through the successive elections as the awareness about the importance of NOTA is spreading among the voters. A significant insight into the importance and role of NOTA might come through during the upcoming elections. How is NOTA useful in a democratic electoral set up? The Supreme Court maintained that the possibility to exercise the negative voting or NOTA option will encourage the voters to exercise their franchise even if they are not satisfied with any of the candidates contesting. The bench under the then Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam said, "Negative voting will lead to a systemic change in polls and political parties will be forced to project clean candidates. If the right to vote is a statutory right, then the right to reject a candidate is a fundamental right of speech and expression under the Constitution." NOTA has no arithmetic value in an election. It is not a negative vote, but only a neutral one as it does not count towards the final tally. While ordering the EC to introduce it, the Supreme Court said, “NOTA will indeed compel the political parties to nominate a sound candidate.” When we reflect on the objectives behind the introduction of NOTA, we do understand that in future NOTA can play a significant role in interpreting how the political and electoral systems in a democracy are faring. It can also play a significant role in bringing about political and electoral reforms.

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: What you need to know about NOTA and its implications

If you are a first time voter, these tips will help you vote comfortably during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Remember that to be able to vote your name must appear in the electoral list also called as voter list. Once you have located the booth in which you have to vote, follow these simple tips to vote for your preferred candidate. As you enter the booth, the first polling officer will check your name on the voter list and verify your ID proof. The second polling officer will ink your finger and issue you a slip. You will have to sign in a register (Form 17A) Deposit the slip given to you with the third polling officer and show the inked finger to be permitted to proceed to the EVM. You will find buttons against the list of candidates contesting in the given constituency. The candidate name will occur along with the symbol allotted to the party. In the EVM, press the button against the candidate to whom you wish to vote for. The beep sound you will hear indicates your vote is accepted. The candidate’s name and symbol that you have voted for will be displayed in the screen of the VVPAT for seven seconds before the slip drops into the sealed VVPAT box. This process helps you verify that you have registered your vote rightly. You are free to press the button against NOTA if you do not wish to vote for any candidate. This is the last button on the EVM.

Here's a guide for the first time voters on how to vote

Nearly seven lakh voters in Bihar used the 'none of the above' or NOTA option in the assembly elections, according to latest figures. So far, results of 202 seats out of the total 243 have been announced. According to figures released by the EC, 6,89,135 people or 1.69 per cent of the voters so far have opted for the option whereby they preferred not to vote for any candidate while exercising their democratic right. The 'NOTA' option on electronic voting machines, introduced in 2013, has its own symbol -- a ballot paper with a black cross across it. After the Supreme Court order in September, 2013, the EC added the NOTA button on the EVMs as the last option on the voting panel. Prior to the apex court order, those not inclined to vote for any candidate had the option of filling, what is popularly called, 'form 49-O'. But filling the form at the polling station under Rule 49-O of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, compromised the secrecy of the voter. The Supreme Court had, however, refused to direct the Election Commission to hold fresh polls if the majority of the electorate exercises the NOTA option while voting. There were several seats in Bihar where NOTA option got more votes than winning margin of candidates. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/india/news/checkout-here-bihar-assembly-election-2020-results-and-updates-online/articleshow/79142084.cms">Bihar Election Results 2020: Outcome of 28 constituencies announced, NDA leads with five more seats than the Grand Alliance</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/prime-minister-modi-hits-out-pakistan-and-china-during-sco-summit-attempts-are-being-made-to-rake-bilateral-issues/articleshow/79148767.cms">Prime Minister Modi takes a dig at Pakistan and China during SCO summit — ‘attempts are being made to rake up bilateral issues’</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/instagram-down-users-complain-of-frozen-timelines-and-likes/articleshow/79146012.cms">Instagram down for over four hours— users complain of frozen timelines and likes</a>

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None of the Above or NOTA toothless without right to reject, say experts

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Lok Sabha Elections 2019: What you need to know about NOTA and its implications

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Here's a guide for the first time voters on how to vote

BI India Bureau

Nearly 7 lakh voters in the Bihar Election 2020 used NOTA option

PTI

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