SHILLONG: The innovative None of the Above (NOTA) option introduced by the Election Commission of India had a lot of takers in Meghalaya as thousands of voters opted for the innovate option.
In Shillong constituency, as many as 10,960 people voted for NOTA and it was a clear indication that people had accepted the new innovation.
Leaving Shillong far behind, the number of voters who opted for NOTA in Tura was almost double since altogether 19,185 people pressed the button of NOTA in the election.
However, some political masters were unhappy with large number votes going to NOTA.
One of the local political leader in an informal discussion said, “Those people who voted for NOTA should not have wasted their energy by going to polling booths to cast their votes.”
Though Shillong fared well when it comes to the use of NOTA, the highest use of NOTA was recorded from Mallapuram constituency of Kerela where as many as 21,829 people voted in favour of NOTA.
None of the Above (NOTA), also known as “against all” or a “scratch” vote, is a ballot option in some jurisdictions or organizations, designed to allow the voter to indicate disapproval of all of the candidates in a voting system.