news details |
|
|
| With electorate bracing up to use NOTA in country, JK voters may lose out on this opportunity | | Mainstream politicians oppose move saying separatism would be strengthened | | Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, Nov 8: With more than 10 crore voters privileged to use 'None of the Above' (NOTA) option in the elections to be held in five states in December chances are ripe that this option may not be put to use in 2014 assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Coalition partners National Conference and Congress have already expressed their objection over the use of this option during the state elections. Leaders of both NC and Congress believe that this option would act as a tool in the hands of separatists who have all along been raising their voice against electoral politics.
Mainstream politicians say that separatists would get a shot in arm if the NOTA option is made available to the voters of Jammu and Kashmir in the next year's assembly elections. They opine that separatist leadership would take pot shots at the mainstream leaders as and when the candidates are rejected during the electoral process.
Sources told Early Times that Omar has already expressed his reservation about the introduction of NOTA during his meeting with Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. The sources said that given the reservations both from National Conference and Congress it is quite possible that Election Commission of India may not go ahead with introduction of NOTA in 2014 Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
It would be in place to mention here that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) took up the issue of 'negative' implications of NOTA option in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Vice-President, Rahul Gandhi during the latter's two day visit to state that concluded on Thursday.
Both National Conference and Congress have vehemently argued before Government of India and the Congress high command that NOTA option in EVMs can be misused by the separatist leadership in Jammu and Kashmir who according to them are desperate enough to belittle the importance of electoral process in a democratic set up.
Political analysts believe that the mainstream politicians at the back of their mind believe that they have not done justice with their electorate and it is due to this reason they are opposing the move to introduce NOTA in Jammu and Kashmir. The political analysts are not ready to buy the version of mainstream politicians that this option would strengthen separatism in the state more so Kashmir valley.
"Truth of the matter is that most of the politicians have failed their people after being elected to the state legislature. These people are looking for options that could act as face saving for them and opposition to NOTA is one such option. Introduction or otherwise of NOTA would not make any difference to separatists and this is non-serious issue to them at present," said political analysts.
Pertinently, on September 27, this year the Supreme Court directed the ECI to introduce NOTA button option in EVMs and on the ballot papers in order to allow the voters to exercise their right to reject option for undeserving candidates in the elections. The NOTA option will be printed in pink on EVMs/ballot papers for the upcoming Assembly polls in five states although for the Lok Sabha elections next year, it will appear in white. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
