None of the above (India)

rdf:langString None of the above (India)

rdf:langString "None of the Above" (or NOTA) has been provided as an option to the voters of India in most elections since 2009. The vote does not hold any electoral value: even if a majority of votes are cast the candidate with the largest vote share would be declared the winner. By expressing a preference for none of the above, a citizen can choose not to vote for any candidates who are contesting the elections. The Supreme Court in PUCL vs. Union of India Judgement 2013 directed the use of NOTA in the context of direct elections to the Lok Sabha and the respective state assemblies. The NOTA option was first used in the 2013 assembly elections held in four states (Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh), and the Union Territory of Delhi. Since its introduction, NOTA has gained increasing popularity amongst the Indian electorate, securing more votes than the victory margin, for instance, in the Assembly Elections in Gujarat (2017), Karnataka (2018), Madhya Pradesh (2018) and Rajasthan (2018). NOTA enables the voter to show their inacceptance for the fielded candidates.