Lok Sabha elections 2024: Is there growing dissatisfaction with the upward trend of NOTA votes?

NOTA held 4th or 5th position in all constituencies in city in 2019

During the 2019 Lok Sabha election in Mumbai, NOTA (None of the Above) votes stayed under 2 per cent of the total votes. However, compared to the previous election, there was a 55 per cent increase in negative voting in 2019. NOTA consistently held the 4th or 5th position in all constituencies in Mumbai in 2019 due to the dominance of two prominent alliances in the election. This time it will be interesting to see the trend of dismissive voting.

NOTA has been provided as an option to the voters since 2013. By expressing a preference for none of the above, a citizen can choose not to vote for any candidates contesting the elections. In the 2014 Lok Sabha election the number of NOTA votes exceeded 10,000 only in the North West constituency. The total votes in all six constituencies were 52,951 which is 1 per cent of total voters turnout in that election.

In 2019, the overall NOTA votes across the city increased by 55 per cent. 82,275 voters registered their displeasure over the candidates through the democratic process. The overall percentage was 1.55 per cent. The maximum NOTA votes were reported in the North West constituency consisting of Goregaon, Jogeshwari, and Andheri in the western suburbs. Even Mumbai South - Colaba to Byculla - registered over 15,000 NOTA votes.

In Maharashtra, NOTA contributed to 4,88,766 votes which was 0.91 per cent of the overall votes in the 2019 election. Palghar constituency - adjacent to Mumbai registered the maximum NOTA votes - 29,479 - in the state. Mumbai North West constituency was on the 4th number after Aurangabad and Gadchiroli.