Summary of the Hindu Editorial “NOTA and the Indian Voter”
(February 28, 2017)
None Of The Above (NOTA) in the Indian electoral system was introduced following the 2013 supreme court directive in the people’s union for civil liberities V. Union of India judgement.
NOTA button saw its debut in the 2013 assembly elections held in four states – Chhatisgarh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
NOTA is considered as negative voting but not provide for a right to reject.
NOTA allows voters to express their dissent against all the contestants in the election.
In the 2014 Lok sabha polls, NOTA constituted 1.1% of the total votes.
The candidate with the maximum votes wins the election irrespective of the number of NOTA votes polled.
The option of NOTA as of now is seen only as an instrument of protest but this electoral option will become a meaningful means of negative voting only if it becomes a right to reject.