Shreyas H S
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
 
Mangalore, Apr 4: For the first time, the Election Commission has installed a new button, NOTA (none of the above), on the electronic voting machines (EVM). This move follows a court order ruling that this option has to be integrated to mark the change in electoral participation. However, the new initiative had stirred much debate in the initial days, with quite a few people across the country stating that they will express their disenchantment against candidates through the use of NOTA, while others feel opting for NOTA is as good as abstaining from voting.
 
Some opine that the new option would not make much of a difference to the elections in the world’s largest democracy.
 
The Election Commission of India, in 2009, had stated that it wished to include such an option in the ballot, which was something that the government had opposed. The People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), a non-governmental organization, filed a public interest litigation (PIL) statement supporting this. On September 27, 2013, the Supreme Court of India ruled that the right to register a ‘none of the above’ vote in elections should apply, noting that it would increase participation.
 
Daijiworld spoke to some people and collected their opinions in order to help readers better understand the importance of the NOTA option ahead of the forthcoming elections.
 
According to Jitendra Kundeshwar, journalist and columnist of a Kannada daily, NOTA is a good step in democracy. “There is a colossal difference between exercising votes through NOTA and abstaining from voting. Sitting at home on the day of elections is not justifiable even if the voter claims that he has no faith in any candidate.  It’s utmost disloyalty and disrespect shown to the process of elections and in turn to the democracy of the nation,” he said.
 
“NOTA is an option which has the capacity to invigorate democracy and the electoral process. In NOTA, a voter is given the right to display his disapproval against the candidates fielded by all the parties. Political parties will get a strong message about the demand of the people who wish to see a credible and clean candidate.  It is a good move and the impact might be realized over the years, since the option has to deliver consolidated electoral possibilities,” added Kundeshwar.
 
Udaya Chandra, registrar, SDM College, Ujire, speaking to daijiworld, said, “I am very concerned about the impact. As of now, technically speaking, NOTA may only add another burden to the complex work of the presiding officer, as he is required to provide a separate list.” He also expressed his doubt that this step might be just an eyewash.
 
When asked whether it would have any impact on the electorate in the future, Udaya Chandra said, “The Commission in the country works at a snail’s pace and NOTA could also become another brick in the wall."
 
"I feel that the introduction of NOTA has the potential to pave the way for a better democracy,” said journalist-turned-politician S Nandagoal of AAP. He also insisted that the current method of electing candidates is quite unscientific.
 
Putting forth his statistical theory to support his stand, he said, “If, in a constituency, 60 percent of the people vote to elect a candidate out of three, and if vote sharing is 30 percent, 21 percent and 19 percent, then, it means the winning candidate does not even enjoy the support of even a quarter of the total population of the area. How scientific is this?
 
“The radical step of bringing in NOTA, may in the coming years, completely change the picture of elections. Parties may get the strong message that they need to to field a good candidate. Elections may take better democratic shape than earlier,” explained Nandagopal.
 
When contacted, special election officer Ponnuraj said that NOTA is an option where the right of rejecting the candidates is given to the public. He refrained from commenting on the banes and boons of the option as he is serving as a special officer.
 
New voter Manoj, a student of mass communication and journalism at SDM College, Ujire, was a bit apprehensive of the NOTA button. "If I exercise my vote today by pressing NOTA, will the Election Commission take my vote very seriously? The new move may sound good, but more radical angles should be given to this. NOTA vote should be considered seriously," he said.