With the Supreme Court ordering None of the Above (NOTA) button in electronic voting machines (EVMs) to empower voters to reject all candidates, local advocacy group and activists have welcomed the ruling. The activists,who have been campaigning for proper implementation of the Rule 49 (O) in conducting general elections,have now demanded that necessary modifications be made in EVMs before next years elections in the state. Speaking to Newsline,Mohan Dharm of Lokoddhar Pratishthan,who had taken up the issue with President Pranab Mukherjee and Chief Election Commission,said the apex court ruling would translate into increased voter turnout during polls. Many eligible voters desist from voting as they do not find any of the candidates in poll fray worth electing. The Supreme Courts verdict will give necessary boost to implementation of Rule 49 (O),enabling such voters to opt for negative voting. It will bring down bogus voting besides serving other purposes, he said. Activist Sachin Dhankude said election authorities should modify EVMs to ensure necessary compliance with apex court orders. The Rule 49(O) of the Representation of People Act describes the procedure to be followed when a valid voter decides not to cast his vote but record this fact. The existing structure of EVMs violates the concept of secret ballot when this particular rule has to be followed. As the Supreme Court has vindicated negative voting,EVMs should be modified at the earliest, he said. Hailing apex court verdict,activist Sachin Shinde stressed the need for making voting compulsory for all eligible voters. Low voting percentage has already been a worry for us and the situation could worsen with negative voting option getting a push from Supreme Court,with effective voting percentage possibly being reduced further. To counter these possibilities,voting should be made compulsory, he said. Activists have also sought clarity from top election authorities in case votes cast under no option head outnumber votes received by candidates since Thursdays Supreme Court judgment is believed to be silent on it. Reform will be a welcome step for voters: Satyanarayan Pune: Even as state Election Commissioner Neela Satyanarayan has welcomed the move to incorporate None of the Above option in electronic voting machines (EVMs),she said it will not affect the winning candidate directly. We already had Rule 49 (O) but was not effective as the government did not agree to amend it, she said. Under Section 49 (O) of the Conduct of Election Rules,1961,a voter who do not wish to cast his vote has to fill up a form and exercise his franchise on a separate paper ballot. If None of the Above option is incorporated in EVMs,it will be easy for voters, she said. However,district election officials say the SC ruling would not impact the election results. The None of the Above option on EVMs has no electoral value. Even if the maximum number of votes is cast under this option option,candidate getting most of the remaining votes will be declared winner, said an official. Even as the Supreme Court said negative voting would encourage people to turn up to cast their vote,an official said it would not have any required impact. A senior bureaucrat,who did not want to be named,said,It might push political parties to project clean candidates as the election commission will have the record of those getting maximum number of negative votes.
