Forum Seeks NOTA as Fictional Candidate in Telangana Polls

Representation to SEC Telangana

Hyderabad: The Forum for Good Governance (FGG) has urged the State Election Commission (SEC), Telangana, to declare NOTA (None of the Above) as a fictional electoral candidate in the upcoming local body elections. In a letter addressed to the SEC, Forum President M. Padmanabha Reddy stated that while the Supreme Court had ordered the introduction of NOTA in 2013 to allow voters to express dissent, its present form has limited impact since the runner-up candidate is declared elected even if NOTA secures the highest votes.

Call to prevent uncontested elections

The Forum pointed out that during the last Panchayat polls, about 16% of Sarpanch posts went uncontested, often due to auctioning of posts, denying villagers their constitutional right to vote. It highlighted that several State Election Commissions have empowered NOTA as a fictional candidate, leading to re-elections if NOTA polls the highest votes.

FGG noted that the Telangana SEC has already held discussions with political parties and relevant departments on this issue without receiving negative feedback. Citing Article 243K of the Constitution, it stressed that the SEC has full authority over Panchayat elections and need not wait for state government approval. The Forum requested the SEC to adopt this measure to curb the practice of unanimous elections and safeguard voting rights.