Will NOTA tip scales this time around?

HYDERABAD: Close to 1.9 lakh voters (0.2% of the total votes polled) had exercised the NOTA option in Telangana in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, an analysis of the polls has revealed. Out of the NOTA votes, backward constituencies like Adilabad led the chart with 16,532 voters opting for it by pressing the last option on the EVMs.


From Maoist-affected Khammam, over 16,000 voters had exercised NOTA, followed by Warangal with 14,034 voters. Nagarkurnool (12,388), Zahirabad (11,190), Bhuvanagiri (10,907), Medak (10,696), Chevella (10,018), Mahbubnagar (9,037), Nalgonda (9,305), Malkajgiri (8,692), Karimnagar (5,734), Hyderabad (5,013) and Mahabubabad (4,097) followed the top three.

Interestingly, Nizamabad where turmeric and jowar farmers had filed nominations as independents had recorded 7,266 NOTA votes last time. The lowest NOTA votes (3,567) were recorded in Peddapalle.

A cursory look at the total number of NOTA votes polled in the state reveals that it could make a difference in the result of one constituency out of 17. In Mahbubnagar, TRS candidate AP Jithendar Reddy had won with a wafer-thin majority of 2,590 votes over Congress candidate S Jaipal Reddy. This margin was less than the total NOTA votes cast. In Nagarkurnool, NOTA votes were almost equivalent to the victory margin (16,676 votes) of Congress candidate Nandi Yellaiah.

NOTA votes proved crucial in Khammam where YSR Congress Party’s Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy won with a small margin of 12,204 votes.

Here, the NOTA votes polled were more than the majority received by Srinivas. Analysts point out that the number of NOTA votes if they were cast in favour of the losing candidates, their fortunes would have changed. However, political parties have a different take. “Contestants have merits and shortcomings. Voters should vote for a party which they feel is better for all, if not for a candidate and viceversa,” said a senior TDP leader. As each single vote is very important, there is no point wasting it on NOTA, he observed.