Difference between 49-0, None Of The Above (NOTA) and Right To Reject (RTR): It should be noted that recent judgment by Supreme Court on the demand to provide for negative voting through a button on the electronic voting machines (EVMs) for None of the Above or NOTA option does not correspond to Right To Reject.
What is NOTA?
NOTA stands for None Of The Above.
What happens if NOTA gets majority in an election?
Nothing. If NOTA gets majority, that will not translate to re-election or to a condition where the constituency remain vacant, as NOTA is not the right to reject. The next candidate with maximum votes will win the election. So then what is the use of NOTA?
NOTA is the right to register a negative opinion, in secrecy, at the age of electronic voting. The NOTA votes will be counted as invalid votes. NOTA encourages voters to exercise their voting rights. It also avoids false voting in the names of those who don’t turn up. But the clue here is secrecy, which was not available with 49-O.
Aapart from the secracy aspect, NOTA will put pressure political parties to nominate only good candidates, as if the number of invalid votes increase, it can de-balance their calculations.
What is rule 49-O?
According to Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 rule 49-O says that “Elector deciding not to vote.-If an elector, after his electoral roll number has been duly entered in the register of voters in Form-17A and has put his signature or thumb impression thereon as required under sub-rule (1) of rule 49L, decided not to record his vote, a remark to this effect shall be made against the said entry in Form 17A by the presiding officer and the signature or thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark.”
The difference between 49-O and NOTA is that 49-O does not provide secrecy. But having said that, the best option was right to reject. Then what is it?
What is Right To Reject (RTR)?
Right To Reject is a condition when Rejection/Negative Votes win majority, it results in re-election.
Kanhaiya says
November 19, 2015 at 5:57 amSir,If in a constituency the number of Right to Reject voters is more than that of any other candidate votes,then what will political parties do? They change their candidates from previous one or not?
rajesh singh says
January 26, 2017 at 11:48 amyadi nir vachan ayog NOTA ka parchar and parsar gavo me sahi tarike se kare to bhut se candidats rejected ho jagyenge aur sahi candidat chunav jitega tabhi lok tantra ki aur de ki tatha des ke logo ki sahi surcha ho sakegi
ramakrishnan says
July 28, 2018 at 10:02 amThanks for sharing this valuable information about NOTA.