Even after 10 years of introduction of None of the Above (NOTA) button in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for polls, it hardly put any impact in previous two Lok Sabha Elections in Nagpur and Ramtek constituencies. Though there were voters who chose NOTA to show their protest against political parties in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the button in the EVM gained just 0.38% votes in Nagpur and only 0.99% votes in Ramtek constituency. In 2019, there were 11,86,051 voters who exercised their franchise in Nagpur constituency. Of these, 4,578 voters pushed the NOTA button. Despite 0.38% voters pushing the NOTA in 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, it became the fifth highest in the constituency after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Indian National Congress (INC), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA).

 

In 2014, 3,460 voters preferred to press NOTA against a total of 10,85,058 voters, which was just 0.31 per cent of the total votes cast. In 2014 too, NOTA secured the fifth highest votes after BJP, INC, BSP and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidates in Nagpur constituency. The scenario in Ramtek constituency was a little different as NOTA was pressed by 11,920 voters which was 0.99% of total votes cast in 2019. Mostly, the voters utilised this button to show their protest against the Government. In 2019, total 11,96,744 voters exercised their franchise in which NOTA bagged fifth highest votes after Shiv Sena (SS), INC, BSP and VBA. In 2014, total 10,45,500 voters voted in Ramtek constituency in which 4,816 pressed the NOTA button which was 0.46 per cent of total votes. In that Lok Sabha Election, NOTA was eighth in the list of votes.

 

NOTA 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 of India (ECI) to make necessary provision in the 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. As the number of voters are increasing in both constituencies, there is a chance that NOTA will be pressed by more voters in the upcoming elections as well.