New Delhi: Introduced for the first time, the None of the Above (NOTA) option comprised over 0.6 per cent of the total votes cast in the Delhi elections that saw AAP's impressive debut and BJP stopping just short of a majority in the results announced yesterday.
Over 49,000 NOTA votes were polled, which comprised 0.63 per cent of the total ballots cast in Delhi, the State Election commission said yesterday.
Delhi has over 1.19 crore voters, out of which 78.7 lakh exercised their franchise this election.
For the first time, the Election Commission had provided the NOTA option button in the EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) for voters who did not wish to vote for any of the candidates in the poll fray.
In central Delhi, Matia Mahal recorded the lowest number of the NOTA votes at 296 while highest with 1,426 at Vikaspuri.
Constituencies crossing the 1,000-above mark of NOTA votes included Bawana (1,217), Nangloi (1,171), Uttam Nagar (1,041) and Sultanpur Majra (1,232).
Low number of NOTA votes were polled in Ballimaran (385), Matia Mahal (289), Sangam Vihar (298), Kirari (412), Chandni Chowk (493), Delhi Cantt (478), Malviya Nagar (375). The eight constituencies of Mehrauli, Chhatarpur, Deoli, Ambedkar Nagar, Sangam Vihar, Kalkaji, Tughlaqabad, Badarpur registered over 4,700 NOTA votes.
The New Delhi constituency from where debutante AAP's Arvind Kejriwal defeated three-time Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, recorded only 460 such votes.
The Supreme Court had given the path-breaking verdict this September, holding that voters have a Right to Reject all candidates contesting polls in a constituency by exercising the NOTA option.
Following the court order, the Election Commission (EC) had introduced the option in poll-bound states of Mizoram, Delhi Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. However, the apex court had refused to direct the EC to hold fresh polls in case the majority of the electorate exercised the NOTA.
The Delhi Assembly elections which were held on December 4 saw a record turn out of an estimated 80 lakh out of the 1.19 crore eligible voters that had sealed the fate of 810 candidates for the 70-member assembly.
