Decoding NOTA: A factor in Rajasthan’s electoral equation

The wait will finally be over on Sunday when the results of the assembly elections in 5 states, including Rajasthan, will be announced. This time, the voter turnout in the state was 75.45%. All sections of society participated in this election, with each individual casting their vote based on their preferences and understanding. However, among all these, some people are not satisfied with the work of any political party candidate.
In this context, there may be many people who have used the ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) option. The significant thing is that in 2018, the Congress formed the government with a margin of 1.5% and the BJP faced defeat. This means that the BJP lost power by only 1,74,699 votes. At that time, the Congress received 1,39,35,201 votes, while the BJP received 1,37,57,502 votes. Meanwhile, the voters chose the ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) option with 4,67,781 votes. If these votes had gone to any political party, the results would have been different.
1.31% opted for NOTA
The Election Commission of India introduced the ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) option in 2013. This means that if voters do not want to support any candidate, they can register their opposition through NOTA in the EVM. This option also gives the public the freedom to express their dissatisfaction with the government. In 2018, out of a total of 3,56,72,912 voters in Rajasthan, 4,67,781 voters chose the NOTA option. This figure represents 1.31% of the total votes.