Gujarat Election 2022: Why NOTA could be a decisive factor

The campaigning for Gujarat assembly elections continues to remain in top gear, with top leaders from parties traversing the state seeking support. The role of 'None Of The Above' or NOTA was decisive in the victory and defeat of the candidates in the last 2017 elections in the state. 

About 5 lakh voters expressed their displeasure by pressing the NOTA button. This time too, it can prove to be decisive. The option of NOTA was found for the first time in the 2017 assembly elections. The state had 4.35 crore voters in that election. Of these, 3.01 crore voters had cast their votes. 

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Overall, there were 69.01 per cent votes cast. Of these, the BJP received 1.47 crore votes, followed by 1.24 crore for the Congress party. Thus, BJP got 49.10 per cent, and Congress got 41.40 per cent votes. At the same time, 12.90 lakh or 4.3 per cent of votes went to the independent candidates. Significantly, after the BJP, Congress and Independents, the maximum votes were secured by NOTA. At least 1.8 per cent, or 5,51,615 voters, opted for NOTA. In that election, 5,48,332 voters opted for NOTA through Electronic Voting Machines and 3262 by ballot. 

According to experts, the number of voters using NOTA in this assembly election will be huge. It is believed that there would be an anti-incumbency wave against the BJP, and NOTA will be used in the absence of strong candidates for Congress. 

In the 2017 assembly elections, 54,975 voters from Ahmedabad, 35,823 from Surat, 33,606 from Banaskantha, 28,273 from Vadodara and 21,145 from Rajkot had expressed their willingness to various political parties by pressing the NOTA button.

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• Gujarat Assembly Election
• Gujarat Election 2022
• Gujarat Polls 2022
• Gujarat assembly elections 2022
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• NOTA