Karnataka Election 2023 Results: Did you know over 2.6 lakh voters opted for NOTA?
Karnataka Election 2023 Results: Over 2.6 lakh voters opted for NOTA. According to data available at 3.30 p.m., 2,59,278 (0.7%) of the almost 3.84 crore persons who voted on Wednesday used the NOTA option.
FollowOver 2.6 lakh voters who exercised their franchise in the May 10 Karnataka assembly polls used the 'none of the above' or NOTA option, according to Election Commission figures. According to data available at 3.30 p.m., 2,59,278 (0.7%) of the almost 3.84 crore persons who voted on Wednesday used the NOTA option.
Congress is all set to make a comeback in Karnataka.  The Congress had not won a single state election since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, barring Himachal Pradesh. And for the BJP, Karnataka was the only southern state where it had power. A big factor in Congress's victory in Karnataka has been its gains in Vokkaliga and Lingayat regions. The party also did well in seats with higher concentrations of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.Â
The NOTA option was added to electronic voting machines (EVMs) in 2013, and it has its own symbol: a ballot paper with a black cross on it. Following a Supreme Court decision in September 2013, the Election Commission introduced the NOTA button as the last option on the voting panel to EVMs.
Those who did not feel inclined to support any candidate had the option of recording their choice under Rule 49-O of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 (elector electing not to vote), prior to the apex court's order. But this jeopardised the voter's confidentiality. However, the NOTA button on an EVM ensures secrecy of ballot.
The Supreme Court had, however, refused to direct the Election Commission to hold fresh polls if the majority of the electorate exercises the NOTA option while voting. The NOTA symbol was designed by the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, for the poll panel.Â
(With PTI inputs)
