Need some compulsory mechanism to ensure people vote: Supreme Court

The petitioners demanded that there should be elections even if there is only one candidate, so that voters can use the ‘None Of The Above’ (NOTA) option if they want to. According to them, it is possible that NOTA might win more votes than the sole candidate in the fray.

Justice Bagchi said, “Experience tells me that it is the educated and well-off people who vote less than the economically weaker people.”

Apparently agreeing, the CJI said voting day is a celebration in rural areas. “Women get a sigh of relief from their other works on that day, and they go in groups, singing songs, to the poll booths,” he said.

Appearing for the petitioners, senior advocate Arvind Datar and advocate Prashant Bhushan said that more people will come out to vote if some consequence is attached to NOTA, which it lacks now. They also flagged what they said was a “dangerous trend” of making all candidates except one withdraw from the contest.

Opposing the prayers, Attorney General R Venkataramani said the petitioners were referring to “hypothetical” situations.

But Justice Bagchi said, “It is not hypothetical. It is possible. It can result in a contest between uncontested candidate and NOTA.”