CHANDIGARH:There has been an increase of 19,388 votes cast under ‘None of the Above (NOTA)’ option during the Haryana Assembly polls compared to Lok Sabha elections. Out of 1,24,12,023 voters, who cast their votes, 53,613 voters opted for NOTA , which was 0.4 per cent of the total votes polled.
During the Lok Sabha elections, 34,225 voters had used this option in the state, which was 0.3 per cent of total votes polled. In Dabwali from where Naina Chautala of the INLD won,1,549 voters rejected all the candidates and Dabwali topped the state in NOTA.
From Bawani Khera, a reserved constituency from where Bishamber Singh of the BJP won, only 169 voters used this option.
After Dabwali, the highest number of NOTA voters came from Gurgaon Assembly constituency where 1,414 voters opted for this option. This was followed by 1,287 NOTA voters in Badhshahpur. In Ambala (City) 1,101 opted for NOTA. In Garhi Sampla-Kiloi seat where two-time Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda contested, a total of 402 voters opted for the NOTA option. Whereas in Karnal from where Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar of BJP won, 589 voters went for this option.
In all, 1,24,12,023 voters cast their votes in the Haryana Assembly elections , taking the voting percentage to a record high of 76.54. While 67,37,003 male voters cast their votes (77.11 pc), 56,75,020 female voters exercised their franchise (75.87 pc).
During the Lok Sabha elections, a total of 34,225 voters opted for NOTA which worked out to 0.3 per cent of total votes for the 10 Lok Sabha seats. At that time NOTA was used by the maximum number of voters in the Ambala constituency.
The NOTA option was sparingly availed by 1,645 voters in Hisar Lok Sabha seat from where INLD candidate Dushyant Chautala defeated Haryana Janhit Congress Chief Kuldeep Bishoni.