The 2024 Lok Sabha Elections have been concluded, with the overall voting turnout recorded at 65.79% in the country. While Lakshadweep marked the highest overall voter turnout at 84.16%, in contrast, Bihar saw the lowest voting percentage at 56.19%. Significantly, the state of Jammu and Kashmir, which also constitutes five seats in Parliament, also saw an overall voter percentage of 58.58%.
Further, amid the latest data released on the voter per cent reported in the country, the Election Commission has revealed that of the total 100 candidates who were in fray for the five seats of Lok Sabha in Jammu and Kashmir, around sixty-eight percent polled fewer than none of the above votes (NOTA).
The data by the Election Commission has revealed that cumulatively, 34,788 voters pressed the NOTA button in the five seats, thus rejecting the candidacy of the people fielded by the party.
Taking further, the Election Commission of India data also highlighted the constituencies garnering the maximum and minimum NOTA share. According to the ECI data, 12,938 NOTA votes were polled in the Udhampur constituency, which saw the incumbent BJP MP Jitendra Singh retain his seat. There were 11 other candidates in the fray from Udhampur, and NOTA polled more votes than nine of them.
Further, in the Jammu seat, which was won by BJP leader Jugal Kishore, 4,645 voters pressed the NOTA button, which is more than the votes individually garnered by 18 candidates. There were 22 candidates in the fray for the seat.
From the Srinagar seat, the number of NOTA votes was 5,998. There were 24 candidates in the fray from the constituency, and most of them—18—got fewer votes than NOTA. While, from the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, 6,223 voters favored NOTA.
Moreover, in the Baramulla seat, 4,984 voters used the NOTA option. There were 22 candidates in the fray, and 14 of them polled fewer votes. Thus, out of the total 100, 68 candidates have secured fewer votes than NOTA, an analysis of the EC data shows.
Meanwhile, in the Union territory of Ladakh, NOTA was favored only by 912 voters. Ladakh is the sole parliamentary constituency in the UT. There were only three candidates in the fray, and all of them got more votes than NOTA.
(With inputs from PTI)
