"None Of The Above" : Will the new button speak in Manipur Elections ?

Seram Neken *

Earlier you selected one evil from two or more evils. Now you can deselect all the evils. If the voters are well aware of their 'right to veto' in elections, candidates will certainly realize their unpopularity even though they get elected. However, the so called NOTA option in voting will be a farce in Manipur where there is still the tradition of vote purchase and proxy voting.

By pressing the 'None of the Above' (NOTA) button in the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), a voter can exercise the option of negative voting and reject all candidates as unworthy of being elected. Just below the name of the last candidate on the EVM, a new option for rejecting all candidates will be available. This innovative option in the EVMs may lead political parties to field clean and popular candidates known for their integrity.

A voter may refrain from voting for several reasons, including the reason that he does not consider any of the candidates worthy of his vote. One of the ways of such expression may be to abstain from voting by not turning up at all, which is not an ideal practice for responsible citizens. The NOTA option will empower such voters to reject all candidates, if he wishes. The actual use of NOTA is to give privacy to the voter who does not want to vote for any of the candidates in his constituency. Now, he will be able to exercise his franchise with conscience.

Now, the voter turnout will increase as option for rejecting unpopular candidates has been offered to the electorate. For many years, a number of voters either abstained from voting or voted against their conscience due to lack opportunity to reject all the candidates. Now, with the new option known as 'NOTA', the electorate will certainly be encouraged to go to polling stations, even though they do not like to vote for the candidates.

Following a petition filed by an NGO called the People's Union for Civil Liberties, the Supreme Court of India gave the historic judgment on this option on 27th September last. As per this judgment, right to vote will also mean the right to veto. Gradually, the political parties and candidates will at least realize the will of the people.

Optimistically, it will be compelled to field clean and popular candidates. The NOTA option will also enable effective political participation in Indian democracy by increasing voter turnout. In principle, the right to cast a positive vote will include the right to cast a negative vote too. It will help foster the purity of the electoral process and ensure wide participation of people. Allowing a person to cast a negative vote promotes the very freedom of expression and the right to liberty.

However, the real benefits of introducing the NOTA option will not be available to Indian democracy, if such an option is offered only symbolically. It is not clear whether there will be a new election or the office will be kept vacant, when NOTA votes exceed the votes secured by the candidates of a particular constituency.

What will be the fate of the constituency, if majority of its electorate opt for 'None of the Above' button ? When NOTA receives majority of the votes, a variety of procedures may be invoked - the office remaining vacant or filling the office by appointment or re-opening nominations or holding another election. The Supreme Court of India is yet to go further to this point.

The ensuing assembly elections in five States namely Delhi, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan will be a great experiment for the apex court and the Election Commission of India to extract benefits from this new button.

With the offer of the new option, there is ardent responsibility of the election commissions at national and state levels to generate NOTA awareness to the electorates. 'Right to veto' has no meaning, unless the voters are educated and empowered. In states like Manipur where majority of voters lack political consciousness, the NOTA option will remain a farce in the election process. Where there is the tradition of vote purchase and proxy voting, any electoral reform will not work. NOTA option will be very effective in places where there is clean and issue-based voting.

Nevertheless, the concept of negative voting which is already prevalent in 12 countries, will usher in a significant change in the voting system of the country and will encourage parties to field clean candidates. None of the Above (NOTA) also known as "Against All" or a "Scratch Vote", is a ballot option in elections, designed to allow the voters to indicate disapproval of all of the candidates.

It is based on the principle that consent also means the ability to withhold consent in an election. Let us be aware and exercise our rights with conscience.

Voice of the week

Now you will realize how many of your people dislike you. Hence, it is time for you to have retrospection on what you have done in your past. It is time for the political parties also to think twice and explore clean personalities before issuing election tickets.