HYDERABAD: Telangana, which sends as many as 17 members to the Lok Sabha, saw over one lakh voters pressing the None of the Above (NOTA) button on the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
Apart from the winners and losers of the Lok Sabha polls, the results of which were announced on Tuesday, considerable attention was hogged by the NOTA option.
As per final reports from the Election Commission, the number of NOTA votes secured across the state was 1,04,244, a vote share of 0.48 percent. It also shows what the voters want to say, that they are committed voters, but they are unhappy with the candidates who are contesting the polls.
About 1,04,244 voters expressed their dissatisfaction against the contesting candidates by pressing the NOTA option. Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency saw 13,366 voters choosing NOTA option followed by Adilabad (11,762) and Warangal (8,380), Hyderabad (2,906) and Zaheerabad (2,977). A total of 525 candidates contested for the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies held in the state on May 13, 2024.
The other Lok Sabha constituencies where voters preferred to press NOTA include Khammam (6,782), Mahabubabad (6,591), Chevella (6,423), Nalgonda (6,086), Peddapalle (5,711), Karimnagar (5,438), Secunderabad (5,166), Bhongir (4,646), Medak (4,617), Nagarkurnool (4,580), Nizamabad (4,483), Mahbubnagar (4,330), Zahirabad (2,977) and Hyderabad (2,906).
This is marginally less compared to the 2019 polls, a vote share of little over one percent. Of the 17 Lok Sabha seats, the Congress and BJP candidates emerged victorious by winning eight seats each, while AIMIM secured one Hyderabad LS seat and BRS drew a blank.
The NOTA button was introduced in October 2013, pursuant to the Supreme Court’s order on September 27, 2013.
The objective of this option was to enable voters who do not wish to vote for any candidate to exercise their right without violating the secrecy of their decision.
Although the number of NOTA votes polled did not affect the election outcomes, it serves as a wake-up call for political parties in the coming days.
