India First: NOTA is counterproductive, says Vivek Agnihotri

By Vivek Agnihotri

Vivek Agnihotri in this episode of the India First series deals with the outcome of Assembly elections in five states, where NOTA ― an electoral provision where the voter rejects all candidates in a given constituency ― played a significant role. Agnihotri says that the performance of the BJP governments in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh did not merit an angry backlash. However, if the voter had to register his displeasure, he could have given a clear mandate. Due to NOTA, while a party the voter might not have wished to benefit has risen to power, the new governments will be weak owing to the wafer-thin majority they enjoy in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Whether the receding Maoist footprint in Chhattisgarh will be reversed is a concern, too