Voters in Madhya Pradesh's Indore responded by casting the most None of the Above (NOTA) votes ever cast in a Lok Sabha election, leaving them without an option after the Congress candidate withdrew his nomination on the final day and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a matter of hours, setting the stage for a no-contest election.

NOTA vote share in spotlight: NOTA wins second position in Madhya Pradesh's Indore

BJP's sitting MP from Indore Shankar Lalwani won from the Indore constituency with a record margin of 11,75,092 votes while NOTA created a record with 218,000&nbsp;votes in India's Lok Sabha elections 2024.

The Lok Sabha general election 2024 results took an interesting turn in&nbsp;Indore city in the central state of Madhya Pradesh after NOTA (None of the Above) emerged as the second&nbsp;most preferred choice of voters after BJP&nbsp;candidate Shankar Lalvani on Tuesday (June 4).

NOTA emerged as the preferred choice of the people of Indore after former Congress leader Akshay Kanti Bam left the party just a day before the polls and joined BJP.

After this, Congress appealed to voters to choose NOTA. The voters indeed chose NOTA, which garnered 111,691 votes in the constituency.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-elections-results-2024-bjp-to-get-a-hat-trick-or-india-bloc-to-rise-and-shine-728474">Lok Sabha Election Results 2024: Exit polls defied as INDIA bloc gives tough fight to NDA</a>

NOTA&nbsp;(None of the Above) is an option introduced by the Election Commission in 2013 if the voter does not want to vote for any candidate, but still wants to exercise the right to vote.&nbsp;

BSP's Sanjay Solanki garnered the third-highest number of votes.

<h2>Nobody can defeat&nbsp;BJP in Indore: Former LS speaker</h2>

Since 1989, Indore has remained a BJP stronghold as former Lok Sabha Speaker&nbsp;Sumitra Mahajan held the seat for eight consecutive terms.

Mahajan, expressing her displeasure at the dropping out of the Opposition candidate, said, “I was surprised to know about the withdrawal of the nomination of the main opposition party candidate in Indore... This should not have happened. There was no need for this development as it was written on the wall that nobody can defeat the BJP in Indore.”&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;India Election Results | Maharashtra: I.N.D.I.A. bloc leading in 28 seats

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-election-results-maharashtra-india-bloc-leading-in-28-seats-728560/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"I explained to them that BJP has done nothing in this regard and that, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the party is sticking to its core ideology and our candidate (Mr Lalwani) is in the fray, so they should vote for BJP instead of NOTA," she said while talking to PTI.

In Indore, the 2024&nbsp;Lok Sabha election took place on May 13 in the fourth phase of the elections and saw a voter turnout of 61.67 per cent.

(With inputs from agencies)

BJP's sitting MP from Indore Shankar Lalwani won from the Indore constituency with a record margin of 11,75,092 votes while NOTA created a record with 218,000 votes in India's Lok Sabha elections 2024.

BJP's sitting MP from Indore Shankar Lalwani won from the Indore constituency with a record margin of 11,75,092 votes while NOTA created a record with 218,000 votes in India's Lok Sabha elections 2024. The Lok Sabha general election 2024 results took an interesting turn in Indore city in the central state of Madhya Pradesh after NOTA (None of the Above) emerged as the second most preferred choice of voters after BJP candidate Shankar Lalvani on Tuesday (June 4). NOTA emerged as the preferred choice of the people of Indore after former Congress leader Akshay Kanti Bam left the party just a day before the polls and joined BJP. After this, Congress appealed to voters to choose NOTA. The voters indeed chose NOTA, which garnered 111,691 votes in the constituency. Also Read: Lok Sabha Election Results 2024: Exit polls defied as INDIA bloc gives tough fight to NDA NOTA (None of the Above) is an option introduced by the Election Commission in 2013 if the voter does not want to vote for any candidate, but still wants to exercise the right to vote. BSP's Sanjay Solanki garnered the third-highest number of votes. Nobody can defeat BJP in Indore: Former LS speaker Since 1989, Indore has remained a BJP stronghold as former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan held the seat for eight consecutive terms. Mahajan, expressing her displeasure at the dropping out of the Opposition candidate, said, “I was surprised to know about the withdrawal of the nomination of the main opposition party candidate in Indore... This should not have happened. There was no need for this development as it was written on the wall that nobody can defeat the BJP in Indore.” Watch: India Election Results | Maharashtra: I.N.D.I.A. bloc leading in 28 seats "I explained to them that BJP has done nothing in this regard and that, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the party is sticking to its core ideology and our candidate (Mr Lalwani) is in the fray, so they should vote for BJP instead of NOTA," she said while talking to PTI. In Indore, the 2024 Lok Sabha election took place on May 13 in the fourth phase of the elections and saw a voter turnout of 61.67 per cent. (With inputs from agencies)

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: BJP MP Lalwani wins by record margin in Indore after defeating NOTA

Bihar saw about 8.17 lakh voters opting for the None of The Above (NOTA) option - the highest in the country - while exercising their franchise in the 17th Lok Sabha polls.

According to the Election Commission's website, the NOTA vote share of Bihar stood at two per cent of the total votes polled in the state that has 40 Lok Sabha seats.

Daman and Diu (1.7 per cent), Andhra Pradesh (1.49 per cent) and Chhattisgarh (1.44 per cent) followed in the list with 1.7 per cent, 1.49 per cent and 1.44 per cent votes, respectively, under NOTA.

NOTA, which was introduced in India following a 2013 Supreme Court directive, allows voters to express their dissent by pressing a button saying none of the contestants is worthy of their vote.

In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, where it was introduced for the first time in any parliamentary election, around 60 lakh voters had opted for the NOTA option -- equalling about 1.1 per cent of the total votes polled during those elections across 543 seats.

In the 2019 elections, the constituency of Gopalganj in Bihar saw 51,660 voters pressing the NOTA button (5.04 per cent), the highest in the country. 
Other constituencies in the state like Paschim Champaran (4.51 per cent), Nawada (3.73 per cent) and Jahanabad (3.37 per cent) also saw many voters opting for NOTA.

While counting of votes continued till late night on Thursday, by evening, it was clear that the Bharatiya Janata Party had sealed electoral victory with a 300-plus win. The party secured 302 of the 542 seats, while Indian National Congress had 52 seats. Results from Arunachal Pradesh West constituency are yet to be announced.

In the key constituency of Varanasi, the seat from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi contested the elections and won, saw 4,037 voters (0.38 per cent) opting for NOTA.

The constituency of Kerala's Wayanad, where the Congress scion Rahul Gandhi won from, saw 2,155 voters (0.2 per cent) pressing the NOTA button.

Among other key constituencies where results had been declared, Amit Shah's Gandhinagar constituency saw 14,214 (1.11 per cent) NOTA votes, Ravi Shankar Prasad's Patna Sahib constituency saw 5,076 (0.52 per cent), and Gautam Gambhir's East Delhi constituency had 4,920 (0.39 per cent) such votes.&nbsp;

Bihar saw about 8.17 lakh voters opting for the None of The Above (NOTA) option - the highest in the country - while exercising their franchise in the 17th Lok Sabha polls.

Bihar saw about 8.17 lakh voters opting for the None of The Above (NOTA) option - the highest in the country - while exercising their franchise in the 17th Lok Sabha polls. According to the Election Commission's website, the NOTA vote share of Bihar stood at two per cent of the total votes polled in the state that has 40 Lok Sabha seats. Daman and Diu (1.7 per cent), Andhra Pradesh (1.49 per cent) and Chhattisgarh (1.44 per cent) followed in the list with 1.7 per cent, 1.49 per cent and 1.44 per cent votes, respectively, under NOTA. NOTA, which was introduced in India following a 2013 Supreme Court directive, allows voters to express their dissent by pressing a button saying none of the contestants is worthy of their vote. In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, where it was introduced for the first time in any parliamentary election, around 60 lakh voters had opted for the NOTA option -- equalling about 1.1 per cent of the total votes polled during those elections across 543 seats. In the 2019 elections, the constituency of Gopalganj in Bihar saw 51,660 voters pressing the NOTA button (5.04 per cent), the highest in the country. Other constituencies in the state like Paschim Champaran (4.51 per cent), Nawada (3.73 per cent) and Jahanabad (3.37 per cent) also saw many voters opting for NOTA. While counting of votes continued till late night on Thursday, by evening, it was clear that the Bharatiya Janata Party had sealed electoral victory with a 300-plus win. The party secured 302 of the 542 seats, while Indian National Congress had 52 seats. Results from Arunachal Pradesh West constituency are yet to be announced. In the key constituency of Varanasi, the seat from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi contested the elections and won, saw 4,037 voters (0.38 per cent) opting for NOTA. The constituency of Kerala's Wayanad, where the Congress scion Rahul Gandhi won from, saw 2,155 voters (0.2 per cent) pressing the NOTA button. Among other key constituencies where results had been declared, Amit Shah's Gandhinagar constituency saw 14,214 (1.11 per cent) NOTA votes, Ravi Shankar Prasad's Patna Sahib constituency saw 5,076 (0.52 per cent), and Gautam Gambhir's East Delhi constituency had 4,920 (0.39 per cent) such votes.

Bihar sees highest number of NOTA votes, Gopalganj tops tally

In Indian democracy, voting is a right. No matter what you think about it, it empowers millions of people across the country. It particularly empowers those who feel that their voice is not represented in the mainstream political discourse.

Recently, when the leader of Swaraj India, Yogendra Yadav, issued an appeal to voters in Delhi to vote for none of the above (NOTA), it led to a backlash. The absence of any political alternative and the cynicism of nothing changing even if you cast a vote, is what prompts NOTA.

It’s a tool of expressing dissatisfaction with the pool of candidates, a voice against the collective betrayal by the political class. But what if this voice isn’t heard?

The idea behind NOTA is that when people start exercising it, it should make the ruling class aware of their fallacies. In realpolitik, often dictated by pragmatism and procedural stunts rather than substantive political discourse, politicians do not necessarily have a conscience. They just want to win. For them, if the numbers are not big enough, there is no real reason to cater to that constituency.

Of course, they could look at NOTA votes as potential votes they could have won. After all, what can be more symbolic of the spirit of democracy than a prospective candidate trying to convince people that she/he is good enough for their vote.

Everything then boils down to the return on investment. Is the politician’s time and effort valuable enough to convince those disillusioned with the system? Would it be better invested in convincing people who are willing to choose sides?

In most cases, the answer to these questions lies in who actually votes for NOTA. It is an informed choice and thus people who vote NOTA generally have their arguments prepared on why they don’t want to vote for any of the candidates in the field.

Sadly, most candidates have neither the intellectual faculty nor the moral conviction to actually change their opinion.

In a political system where people jump parties every other day, where ideological change is a matter of a press conference and where the bar for political discourse is often set at its lowest marker, the candidates one gets to choose from are often disinterested in the voter’s voice.

For the voter, the dilemma is always between voting as an individual or voting as a collective. As an individual, one has every right to vote for NOTA. There are so many constituencies where the same pool of candidates keep fighting for years, even generations. There are many voters who haven’t ever seen an MP or an MLA because they feel their vote is not important enough.

On the other side, it is worth considering larger political ideologies and goals. For example, an individual can think as a caste group or a religious group or member of an urban community, like the RWA.

In these cases, collective interests often overpower individual interests. Politicians too try and appease these collective voters because it is better return on their investment.

One day, we might have collectives in India voting and propagating for NOTA. This will surely draw the attention of every political party towards the NOTA voter.

For now though, the NOTA voter is mostly an individual, tired of no change, watching a surfeit of TV news debates and appalled at the political discourse in the country.

Looked at it like that, Yogendra Yadav might have been advocating NOTA as a pragmatic political tool. After all, most NOTA voters in Delhi are presumably middle or upper class and have traditionally voted for either the BJP or Congress.

So NOTA, in reality, might actually help his old party, which is more popular among the lower middle and working classes of Delhi. For some, this might seem as a piece of far fetched political fiction, but one thing is for sure: No one can predict anything about the elections until the results are out. 
&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-nota-unknown-factor-now-may-23-could-provide-clues-2747320">original article</a>)

 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

&nbsp;

In Indian democracy, voting is a right. No matter what you think about it, it empowers millions of people across the country. It particularly empowers those who feel that their voice is not represented in the mainstream political discourse.

In Indian democracy, voting is a right. No matter what you think about it, it empowers millions of people across the country. It particularly empowers those who feel that their voice is not represented in the mainstream political discourse. Recently, when the leader of Swaraj India, Yogendra Yadav, issued an appeal to voters in Delhi to vote for none of the above (NOTA), it led to a backlash. The absence of any political alternative and the cynicism of nothing changing even if you cast a vote, is what prompts NOTA. It’s a tool of expressing dissatisfaction with the pool of candidates, a voice against the collective betrayal by the political class. But what if this voice isn’t heard? The idea behind NOTA is that when people start exercising it, it should make the ruling class aware of their fallacies. In realpolitik, often dictated by pragmatism and procedural stunts rather than substantive political discourse, politicians do not necessarily have a conscience. They just want to win. For them, if the numbers are not big enough, there is no real reason to cater to that constituency. Of course, they could look at NOTA votes as potential votes they could have won. After all, what can be more symbolic of the spirit of democracy than a prospective candidate trying to convince people that she/he is good enough for their vote. Everything then boils down to the return on investment. Is the politician’s time and effort valuable enough to convince those disillusioned with the system? Would it be better invested in convincing people who are willing to choose sides? In most cases, the answer to these questions lies in who actually votes for NOTA. It is an informed choice and thus people who vote NOTA generally have their arguments prepared on why they don’t want to vote for any of the candidates in the field. Sadly, most candidates have neither the intellectual faculty nor the moral conviction to actually change their opinion. In a political system where people jump parties every other day, where ideological change is a matter of a press conference and where the bar for political discourse is often set at its lowest marker, the candidates one gets to choose from are often disinterested in the voter’s voice. For the voter, the dilemma is always between voting as an individual or voting as a collective. As an individual, one has every right to vote for NOTA. There are so many constituencies where the same pool of candidates keep fighting for years, even generations. There are many voters who haven’t ever seen an MP or an MLA because they feel their vote is not important enough. On the other side, it is worth considering larger political ideologies and goals. For example, an individual can think as a caste group or a religious group or member of an urban community, like the RWA. In these cases, collective interests often overpower individual interests. Politicians too try and appease these collective voters because it is better return on their investment. One day, we might have collectives in India voting and propagating for NOTA. This will surely draw the attention of every political party towards the NOTA voter. For now though, the NOTA voter is mostly an individual, tired of no change, watching a surfeit of TV news debates and appalled at the political discourse in the country. Looked at it like that, Yogendra Yadav might have been advocating NOTA as a pragmatic political tool. After all, most NOTA voters in Delhi are presumably middle or upper class and have traditionally voted for either the BJP or Congress. So NOTA, in reality, might actually help his old party, which is more popular among the lower middle and working classes of Delhi. For some, this might seem as a piece of far fetched political fiction, but one thing is for sure: No one can predict anything about the elections until the results are out. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

This election, India will finally know the effect NOTA has on the political discourse

India Election Watch: Is 'NOTA' a wasted vote?

Though the Congress won 26 fewer seats than the BJP in the bitterly fought Karnataka election, its vote share was nearly two per cent points higher, according to data released by the Election Commission.

At the end of counting of votes for 219 of the 224 constituencies, the BJP emerged as the single largest party bagging 101 seats and was leading in three with a vote share of 36.2 per cent while the Congress came second with 78 seats accounting for 38 per cent of the votes.

Polling for RR Nagar seat was deferred on account of alleged electoral malpractices while it was countermanded in Jayanagar seat following the death of the BJP candidate.

Karnataka recorded the highest voter turnout at 72.13 per cent since the 1952 assembly elections.

According to the official data, the Congress' vote share rose marginally to 38 per cent in the current polls from 36.6 per cent in 2013 but the party had to settle for lesser seats. The ruling party had a strength of 122 MLAs in the outgoing house. Its vote share was 35.13 per cent in 2008.

Interestingly, over three lakh people, accounting for 0.9% votes share opted for None Of The Above (NOTA) option. &nbsp;

On the other hand, the BJP's vote share remained marginally lower than that of Congress but at 36.2 per cent it recorded the highest so far and also managed to bag more seats but will fall short of nine seats for a comfortable majority in a House of 224. The BJP had 40 seats in the outgoing house.

The BJP's previous highest in vote share was 33.86 per cent in 2008, when BS Yeddyurappa rode to power by winning 110 seats to usher in the first saffron government in the south. But the party failed to retain power in 2013 as it could manage only 40 seats with its vote share dropping drastically to 19.9 per cent because of two splits in the party.

The two splinter parties - B S Yeddyurappa's Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) and B Sriramulu's BSR Congress Party (BSRCP) -- cut into BJP's share in 2013. KJP and BSRCP had got 9.8 per cent and 2.7 per cent vote share, respectively.

JD(S)' vote share declined to 18.4 per cent this year from 20.2 per cent in 2013 and 19.44 per cent in 2008 and is in the hunt for power after stitching a dramatic post-poll alliance with rival Congress. The party headed by former prime minister H D Deve Gowda got three seats less than the 40 it obtained in the previous polls.

Political analyst Yogendra Yadav said there is "nothing new" in the vote share pattern and the link with the seats won by the rival parties.

"There is nothing new here. This is exactly what happened in 2008 as well. Congress' votes are more or less evenly spread throughout the state. BJP votes are concentrated in few pockets. Although the average vote share of BJP is lower than the Congress, but where BJP and Congress are in competition, BJP's average is much higher than the Congress," Mr Yadav said.

Mr Yadav also claimed there is no big wave in favour of the BJP.

&nbsp;

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/df-9nE6Dwk0" width="560"></iframe>

"There is no popular mandate in favour of BJP. But there is a popular mandate against Congress. People have rejected Congress but not selected BJP. That is because both political parties have not raised any of the key issues affecting the people of Karnataka, be it farmers issues, unemployment and widespread corruption. This has led to the strange fractured verdict."&nbsp;

Mr Yadav also said the vote share of the JD(S) showed its popularity has not gone up as its votes are concentrated in a small pocket of old Mysuru region.

(With inputs from PTI)

Even after remaining ahead of the Congress party in terms of seats in bitterly fought Karnataka assembly election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) got over 6 lakh votes less than the grand old party.

Though the Congress won 26 fewer seats than the BJP in the bitterly fought Karnataka election, its vote share was nearly two per cent points higher, according to data released by the Election Commission. At the end of counting of votes for 219 of the 224 constituencies, the BJP emerged as the single largest party bagging 101 seats and was leading in three with a vote share of 36.2 per cent while the Congress came second with 78 seats accounting for 38 per cent of the votes. Polling for RR Nagar seat was deferred on account of alleged electoral malpractices while it was countermanded in Jayanagar seat following the death of the BJP candidate. Karnataka recorded the highest voter turnout at 72.13 per cent since the 1952 assembly elections. According to the official data, the Congress' vote share rose marginally to 38 per cent in the current polls from 36.6 per cent in 2013 but the party had to settle for lesser seats. The ruling party had a strength of 122 MLAs in the outgoing house. Its vote share was 35.13 per cent in 2008. Interestingly, over three lakh people, accounting for 0.9% votes share opted for None Of The Above (NOTA) option. On the other hand, the BJP's vote share remained marginally lower than that of Congress but at 36.2 per cent it recorded the highest so far and also managed to bag more seats but will fall short of nine seats for a comfortable majority in a House of 224. The BJP had 40 seats in the outgoing house. The BJP's previous highest in vote share was 33.86 per cent in 2008, when BS Yeddyurappa rode to power by winning 110 seats to usher in the first saffron government in the south. But the party failed to retain power in 2013 as it could manage only 40 seats with its vote share dropping drastically to 19.9 per cent because of two splits in the party. The two splinter parties - B S Yeddyurappa's Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) and B Sriramulu's BSR Congress Party (BSRCP) -- cut into BJP's share in 2013. KJP and BSRCP had got 9.8 per cent and 2.7 per cent vote share, respectively. JD(S)' vote share declined to 18.4 per cent this year from 20.2 per cent in 2013 and 19.44 per cent in 2008 and is in the hunt for power after stitching a dramatic post-poll alliance with rival Congress. The party headed by former prime minister H D Deve Gowda got three seats less than the 40 it obtained in the previous polls. Political analyst Yogendra Yadav said there is "nothing new" in the vote share pattern and the link with the seats won by the rival parties. "There is nothing new here. This is exactly what happened in 2008 as well. Congress' votes are more or less evenly spread throughout the state. BJP votes are concentrated in few pockets. Although the average vote share of BJP is lower than the Congress, but where BJP and Congress are in competition, BJP's average is much higher than the Congress," Mr Yadav said. Mr Yadav also claimed there is no big wave in favour of the BJP. "There is no popular mandate in favour of BJP. But there is a popular mandate against Congress. People have rejected Congress but not selected BJP. That is because both political parties have not raised any of the key issues affecting the people of Karnataka, be it farmers issues, unemployment and widespread corruption. This has led to the strange fractured verdict." Mr Yadav also said the vote share of the JD(S) showed its popularity has not gone up as its votes are concentrated in a small pocket of old Mysuru region. (With inputs from PTI)

Karnataka results: Congress won 26 fewer seats but got 6.3 lakh more votes than BJP

This is one record the BJP candidate who contested the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/dhinakaran-wins-rk-nagar-bypoll-in-big-blow-for-aiadmk-27597">RK Nagar </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/dhinakaran-wins-rk-nagar-bypoll-in-big-blow-for-aiadmk-27597">bypoll</a> will not be proud of, as NOTA got more votes than he did.

While the main battle was confined to the giants--TTV Dhinakaran and AIADMK veteran E Madhusudhanan, in an interesting aside, NOTA pipped the saffron party&#39;s Karu Nagarajan.

As many as 2,373 voters from the constituency did not want to vote for anyone and pressed the EVM button for None of the Above (NOTA), leaving Nagarajan with a meagre 1,417 votes.

This was his second electoral failure in as many years.

Nagarajan, a regular face in Tamil TV channels who puts forth his party&#39;s views on various issues, had unsuccessfully contested the 2016 Assembly polls from Mylapore constituency in this city.

AIADMK had then won the seat.

While the main battle was confined to TTV Dhinakaran and AIADMK veteran E Madhusudhanan, in an interesting aside, NOTA pipped the saffron party's Karu Nagarajan who was left with a meagre 1,417 votes

This is one record the BJP candidate who contested the RK Nagar bypoll will not be proud of, as NOTA got more votes than he did. While the main battle was confined to the giants--TTV Dhinakaran and AIADMK veteran E Madhusudhanan, in an interesting aside, NOTA pipped the saffron party's Karu Nagarajan. As many as 2,373 voters from the constituency did not want to vote for anyone and pressed the EVM button for None of the Above (NOTA), leaving Nagarajan with a meagre 1,417 votes. This was his second electoral failure in as many years. Nagarajan, a regular face in Tamil TV channels who puts forth his party's views on various issues, had unsuccessfully contested the 2016 Assembly polls from Mylapore constituency in this city. AIADMK had then won the seat.

NOTA gets more votes than BJP candidate in RK Nagar bypoll

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea seeking a direction to the Election Commission of&nbsp;India to nullify an election result and conduct fresh polls if NOTA gets the maximum votes in a constituency.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud allowed the petitioner to withdraw the plea which had also sought a direction to the poll panel to restrict those candidates and political parties, whose election have been nullified, from taking part in fresh polls.

The top court termed the suggestions as &quot;unworkable&quot; and said &quot;we cannot destroy our democracy just like that... holding an election in our country is a very serious and expensive business. Today we cannot say that unless a person gets 51 per cent of votes, he cannot be declared elected.&quot;

Sensing the mood of the court favouring dismissing the plea, petitioner advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, also a Delhi BJP spokesperson, chose to withdraw the petition.

The petition had also said the right to reject and elect a new candidate will give power to the people to express their discontent.

The Right to Reject was first proposed by the Law Commission in its 170th report in 1999 as part of its &quot;Alternative Method of Election&quot;. It had also suggested that the contesting candidates should be declared elected only if they have obtained 51 per cent of all valid votes.

The PIL wanted the Union government to implement the Law Commission recommendations to ensure free and fair polls.

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea seeking a direction to the poll panel to nullify an election result and conduct fresh poll if NOTA gets the maximum votes in a constituency

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea seeking a direction to the Election Commission of India to nullify an election result and conduct fresh polls if NOTA gets the maximum votes in a constituency. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud allowed the petitioner to withdraw the plea which had also sought a direction to the poll panel to restrict those candidates and political parties, whose election have been nullified, from taking part in fresh polls. The top court termed the suggestions as "unworkable" and said "we cannot destroy our democracy just like that... holding an election in our country is a very serious and expensive business. Today we cannot say that unless a person gets 51 per cent of votes, he cannot be declared elected." Sensing the mood of the court favouring dismissing the plea, petitioner advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, also a Delhi BJP spokesperson, chose to withdraw the petition. The petition had also said the right to reject and elect a new candidate will give power to the people to express their discontent. The Right to Reject was first proposed by the Law Commission in its 170th report in 1999 as part of its "Alternative Method of Election". It had also suggested that the contesting candidates should be declared elected only if they have obtained 51 per cent of all valid votes. The PIL wanted the Union government to implement the Law Commission recommendations to ensure free and fair polls.

Supreme Court rejects plea to nullify polls if NOTA gets majority

Congress Party on Wednesday moved Supreme Court against &#39;None of the Above&#39; (NOTA) option in Rajya Sabha elections. The court is likely to hear the matter on Thursday.

The Congress has been protesting since the Election Commission has notified that NOTA option will be available for the first time in upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat.

Rajya Sabha elections do not take place by secret ballot as the voter has to show the marked ballot to the party&#39;s polling agent before putting it in the ballot box.

Despite its six Gujarat MLAs joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress is leaving no stone unturned to secure Rajya Sabha berth for its leader Ahmed Patel.

It has also decided to issue a whip to all Congress MLAs, including Shankersinh Vaghela, who resigned last month to ensure that Ahmed Patel is voted back into the Rajya Sabha.

The BJP has fielded party president Amit Shah, Union Minister Smriti Irani and Balwantsinh Rajput for the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled on August 8.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Congress has been protesting after the Election Commission notified that NOTA option will be available for the first time in upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat

Congress Party on Wednesday moved Supreme Court against 'None of the Above' (NOTA) option in Rajya Sabha elections. The court is likely to hear the matter on Thursday. The Congress has been protesting since the Election Commission has notified that NOTA option will be available for the first time in upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat. Rajya Sabha elections do not take place by secret ballot as the voter has to show the marked ballot to the party's polling agent before putting it in the ballot box. Despite its six Gujarat MLAs joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress is leaving no stone unturned to secure Rajya Sabha berth for its leader Ahmed Patel. It has also decided to issue a whip to all Congress MLAs, including Shankersinh Vaghela, who resigned last month to ensure that Ahmed Patel is voted back into the Rajya Sabha. The BJP has fielded party president Amit Shah, Union Minister Smriti Irani and Balwantsinh Rajput for the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled on August 8.

Rajya Sabha elections: Congress moves SC against NOTA option, hearing tomorrow

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday asked the Election Commission to remove the &quot;None of the Above&quot; option (NOTA) for voters, stating that there was a lack of consensus among parties and that the option was creating &quot;confusion&quot;.

NOTA will be available to voters for the first time during the assembly elections in Gujarat.

A board of members of the BJP tried to convince Election Commission officials to remove the voting option,&nbsp;a day after the Congress party made a similar demand.

The Congress also moved the Supreme Court today (August 2). The top court is likely to hear the matter tomorrow.

In a memorandum to the Election Commission, the BJP said, &quot;It is submitted that the use of NOTA in the upcoming poll has become an issue of debate among the political parties and therefore, a proper consensus should be made before the use of NOTA in election in Rajya Sabha.&quot;

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs&nbsp;Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that the introduction of the voting option on the ballot paper during the Rajya Sabha elections had created a lot of confusion.

&quot;Rajya Sabha elections are indirect elections where the&nbsp;original feeling is that NOTA will harm the Rajya Sabha elections, and so we have demanded that NOTA tatkal should be ended and so that fair elections can take place,&quot; he said.

The legislators who will cast vote in the August 8 Rajya Sabha election in Gujarat, will have the option of NOTA.

The Congress has been protesting since the Election Commission has notified the NOTA option.

The party will also issue a whip to all MLAs, including Shankersinh Vaghela who resigned last month, to ensure that Ahmed Patel is voted back into the Rajya Sabha.

Despite the fact that six of its legislators from Gujarat have joined the BJP, the Congress is leaving no stone unturned to secure Rajya Sabha berth for its lone candidate Ahmed Patel.

The BJP has fielded party president Amit Shah, Union Minister Smriti Irani and Balwantsinh Rajput against Ahmed Patel.

Rajya Sabha elections do not take place by secret ballot. The voter has to show the marked ballot to the party&#39;s polling agent before putting it in the ballot box.

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A board of members of the BJP tried to convince Election Commission officials to remove the voting option

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday asked the Election Commission to remove the "None of the Above" option (NOTA) for voters, stating that there was a lack of consensus among parties and that the option was creating "confusion". NOTA will be available to voters for the first time during the assembly elections in Gujarat. A board of members of the BJP tried to convince Election Commission officials to remove the voting option, a day after the Congress party made a similar demand. The Congress also moved the Supreme Court today (August 2). The top court is likely to hear the matter tomorrow. In a memorandum to the Election Commission, the BJP said, "It is submitted that the use of NOTA in the upcoming poll has become an issue of debate among the political parties and therefore, a proper consensus should be made before the use of NOTA in election in Rajya Sabha." Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that the introduction of the voting option on the ballot paper during the Rajya Sabha elections had created a lot of confusion. "Rajya Sabha elections are indirect elections where the original feeling is that NOTA will harm the Rajya Sabha elections, and so we have demanded that NOTA tatkal should be ended and so that fair elections can take place," he said. The legislators who will cast vote in the August 8 Rajya Sabha election in Gujarat, will have the option of NOTA. The Congress has been protesting since the Election Commission has notified the NOTA option. The party will also issue a whip to all MLAs, including Shankersinh Vaghela who resigned last month, to ensure that Ahmed Patel is voted back into the Rajya Sabha. Despite the fact that six of its legislators from Gujarat have joined the BJP, the Congress is leaving no stone unturned to secure Rajya Sabha berth for its lone candidate Ahmed Patel. The BJP has fielded party president Amit Shah, Union Minister Smriti Irani and Balwantsinh Rajput against Ahmed Patel. Rajya Sabha elections do not take place by secret ballot. The voter has to show the marked ballot to the party's polling agent before putting it in the ballot box.

After Congress, BJP meets Election Commission to discuss removal of NOTA

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