Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Saturday exhorted the people to shun the None of the Above (NOTA) option when exercising their right to vote, saying that it is “not a democratic way” and “not a progressive step.”
Inaugurating the State-level National Voters’ Day celebrations organised by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (Kerala), Mr. Arlekar said that NOTA should not be encouraged.
“I hope my people in Kerala will not go for NOTA in the next election. I’m against it. You also should (be),” he said.
Mr. Arlekar, who assumed office as Kerala Governor on January 2, said he was well aware that NOTA was introduced in accordance with a Supreme Court judgment. Nonetheless, opting for NOTA was nothing less than running away from responsibility, he said. He urged the people to vote for a candidate of their choice, but not NOTA. “When you want all the people to elect their government, what is the (need for) provision of NOTA?” he said.
(To put things in context, the Supreme Court, in a September 27, 2013, judgment directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to make the necessary provision for NOTA in the ballot papers/EVMs so that voters who decide not to vote for any of the candidates in the fray, are able to exercise their right not to vote. NOTA had polled 1,03,596 votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Kerala. The number rose to 1,58,456 in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections held on April 26.)
Foolproof
Mr. Arlekar said EVMs are foolproof and any allegations to the contrary are baseless. He also urged the people of Kerala to ensure that voting percentage touch 100%. That should be the target for the future elections, he said. “National Voters’ Day is not just a celebration of past achievements, but it is also celebrating what we want to achieve in future,” he said. Kerala voter turnout in the last Lok Sabha polls (72.04% as per ECI statistics) was not befitting its status as a 100% literate State, he said. He also underscored the need for voter education.
Chief Electoral Officer (Kerala) Rathan Kelkar, State Election Commissioner A. Shajahan, and Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan spoke. The Governor also launched a cloud-based file management system and gave away prizes on the occasion.
