While exercising their democratic rights, voters with a dilemma regarding the candidates have the option to express their dissatisfaction through the “NOTA” (None of the Above) selection on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM).

In the previous Lok Sabha elections of 2019, four lakh voters in 26 seats in Gujarat cast their votes in the NOTA. However, it did not affect the margin of any seats in Gujarat, as only 1.38% of the voters in Gujarat had opted for NOTA in 2019.

According to the Election Commission, more than 65.2 lakh voters opted for NOTA across the country, out of which 3,96,580 voters opted for NOTA in Gujarat. NOTA was used the most in the state in seats with tribal voters. In the last election, Gujarat recorded a voter turnout of 64.51%, in which 2.91 crore voters exercised their franchise out of a total of 4.51 crore.

NOTA votes across various constituencies in Gujarat

In the 2019 election, the NOTA option garnered significant attention, particularly in Gujarat, where 4,00,932 voters opted for it. Notably, tribal areas such as Chhotaudepur, Dahod, Valsad, and Panchmahal saw a higher preference for NOTA.

The Gandhinagar seat alone recorded over 14,000 NOTA votes. Over the past five years, approximately 1.30 crore voters across India have chosen the NOTA option.

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