Lok Sabha Polls 2024: When NOTA (None Of The Above) Ranked 3rd In Over 100 Seats

In the Lok Sabha 2024 elections, as much as 63.72 lakh votes were polled for NOTA (None Of The Above). Vote figure for NOTA saw a decline of 1.48 lakh votes compared to the figures of the last general election in 2019 when NOTA received 65.2 lakh votes.

Indore constituency in Madhya Pradesh created history by registering the highest-ever NOTA votes in the country at 2,18,674, overtaking a record posted by Bihar's Gopalganj in 2019, while the BJP candidate Shankar Lalwani won the Lok Sabha election from the seat in Madhya Pradesh by a staggering margin of 11,75,092 votes.

NOTA Votes Across Country

The distribution of NOTA votes varied significantly across states. Madhya Pradesh led with 5.33 lakh votes, followed by Tamil Nadu with 4.76 lakh votes and Gujarat with 4.60 lakh votes. Bihar also saw a significant number of NOTA votes, totaling 8.99 lakh. Andhra Pradesh recorded 4.02 lakh NOTA votes, while Odisha had 3.25 lakh. Other notable figures include Uttar Pradesh with 6.36 lakh votes and West Bengal with 5.24 lakh votes. Even in smaller regions, the impact of NOTA was felt, with Andaman & Nicobar Islands recording 1,809 votes and Lakshadweep with just 133 votes.

NOTA in Top 3 on More Than 100 Seats, Gujrat, Bihar and Karnataka Lead The List

In Gujarat, NOTA ranked third in 24 out of 25 seats capturing 1.56 per cent of the total vote share. This is attributed to the predominance of two major parties, the BJP and the Congress, leaving limited room for other contenders. Dahod, a Scheduled Tribe (ST) reserved seat, topped with 34,938 NOTA votes, followed closely by Chhota Udaipur with 29,655 votes and Bardoli with 25,542 votes. Amit Shah's stronghold, Gandhinagar, also saw a significant NOTA presence with 22,005 votes. However, Jamnagar stood as an exception where NOTA ranked fourth with 11,082 votes.

In Bihar, 21 out of 40 seats saw NOTA in the third position, an unusual trend in a state with a multitude of political parties like BJP, Janata Dal, Rashtriya Janata Dal, and Lok Janshakti Party. Gopalganj led with 42,863 votes, followed by Hajipur with 36,927 and Banka with 34,889 votes. Among others, Madhepura recorded 32,625 NOTA votes. Bihar had the most NOTA votes cast, with 2.07 per cent of voters opting for it. 

In the 2024 elections, Karnataka saw more than 2.1 lakh voters choose NOTA, which is 32,467 fewer than in 2019 and 39,538 fewer than in 2014. In all three elections, the NOTA vote share was under 1 per cent - it's 0.6 per cent in 2024. Karnataka saw NOTA rank third in 14 out of its 28 seats, showcasing its growing influence. Dakshina Kannada stood out with 23,576 votes, Bangalore North followed with 13,554 votes, and Bangalore Central with 12,126 votes, showing varied voter dissatisfaction with available candidates.

NOTA Stats In Top Three Position

Across India, NOTA secured the third position in a notable number of Lok Sabha constituencies in various states. Bihar led with NOTA ranking third in 21 out of its 40 seats, reflecting voter discontent in a politically vibrant state. Gujarat followed closely with NOTA securing the third spot in 24 out of 25 constituencies, underscoring dissatisfaction in a predominantly two-party system. Karnataka also saw significant NOTA presence, ranking third in 14 out of its 28 seats, indicating widespread voter dissatisfaction with electoral choices.

Seats with Highest Number of NOTA Votes

Indore set a new benchmark with 2.18 lakh NOTA votes, making it the highest in the country. Other constituencies with significant NOTA votes include Araku (ST) in Andhra Pradesh with 50,470 votes, Nabarangpur in Odisha with 43,268 votes, and Gopalganj in Bihar with 42,863 votes. Jharkhand's Koderma had 42,152 NOTA votes, while Koraput in Odisha registered 37,131 votes. Bastar in Chhattisgarh saw 36,758 NOTA votes, and Jhanjharpur in Bihar recorded 35,928 votes.

What is NOTA?

NOTA was first introduced in 2013 after a human rights organization PUCL (People's Union for Civil Liberties) moved the Supreme Court of the country with a writ petition demanding the inclusion of the NOTA option in the voting process. NOTA votes are crucial to the results of an election as they deduct votes from political parties, which can lead to shifting of victory margins.