NOTA a ‘toothless tiger’ with no implications on results: ADR expert

More than ten years after a Supreme Court judgment paved way for introduction of the NOTA (None of the Above) button on Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) for polls, the number of voters choosing it still remains low, with the experts dubbing it as a “toothless tiger” with no implications on the results.

More than ten years after a Supreme Court judgment paved way for introduction of the NOTA (None of the Above) button on Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) for polls, the number of voters choosing it still remains low, with the experts dubbing it as a "toothless tiger" with no implications on the results.

NOTA was introduced in India through the Supreme Court's judgment 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 (EC) of India to make necessary provision in the ballot papers/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.

After the Supreme Court order in September 2013, the Election Commission added the NOTA button on the EVMs as the last option on the voting panel. One ballot unit has 16 buttons.

Before the apex court order, those not inclined to vote for any candidate had the option of filling what is popularly called form 49O. But filling out the form at the polling station under Rule 49-O of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, compromised the secrecy of the voter.

However, even as NOTA has secured more than 1.29 crore votes in the State Assembly elections and the Lok Sabha elections combined in the last five years, the number of candidates with criminal records has increased in both the general- and the Assembly elections.