Deciphering NOTA Votes: Insights from Past Maharashtra Lok Sabha Elections

Mumbai: NOTA (None of the above) option gives the voter the right to make a choice if they deem no candidate in the fray as fit. It was used by the highest number of voters in the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. This was followed by a large number of voters in the Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency who had no preference for their candidate. However, it is noteworthy that NOTA did not get more than two percent of the votes in the total voting held in Mumbai.

In 2019, more than 82,000 voters exercised NOTA rights in all the six Lok Sabha constituencies in Mumbai. The highest number of NOTA votes were cast in the Mumbai North West constituency. As many as 18,225 voters had voted for NOTA. This is equivalent to 1.94 percent of the total voter turnout. 

•  In the 2019 elections, Palghar had the highest voter turnout for NOTA in Maharashtra. A total of 29,479 voters had voted for NOTA.
• It was followed by Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) with 22,632 voters who voted for NOTA. 
• Gadchiroli recorded 24,599 NOTA votes.

 

'NOTA' came second 

NOTA came second in the Andheri East assembly by-election in November 2022. Uddhav Sena candidate Rutuja Latke got a total of 66,530 votes. Neither the Shinde Sena nor the MNS had fielded candidates against her, making it a one-sided fight. NOTA came second with 12,806 votes.

• The Supreme Court gave voters the right to NOTA 11 years ago.
• However, it still has little impact on the outcome of the election.
• NOTA did not get more than 2 percent votes in Mumbai.