NOTA 2nd runner up in Kangan

Ganderbal, Oct 9: At least 3277 voters opted for None of the Above (NOTA) option in Ganderbal and Kangan assembly constituencies of Ganderbal district in the J&K assembly elections, the results of which were announced on Tuesday.

NOTA is an option for rejecting the candidates fielded by political parties in the constituency.

About 1713 voters pressed the NOTA button in the Ganderbal constituency, which was more than the votes polled in favour of 10 candidates among the 15 in the fray.

In the Kangan constituency, 1564 voters opted for the NOTA option, exceeding four candidates in a contest with only six participants.

“Going for the NOTA option indicates that those voters who have used it have little expectations from the candidates fielded by different political parties,” a local said.

Though the NOTA figures

do not make any impact on the outcome nor do these provide for a recall of the candidates in case the NOTA is the first preferred option among all candidates in the fray, some voters take the trouble of walking to the election booth to exercise the NOTA option.

The NOTA option provided by the Election Commission of India (ECI) has been in vogue since October 11, 2013, to give a choice to the voters who do not wish to vote for any candidates in the fray and to express their neutrality.

But it does not mean that a candidate has to retire from the fray in case the number of voters opting for NOTA is higher than the votes polled by the candidates.

To that extent, it makes little impact on the outcome.