NOTA's vote share up from 2020 but still falls short of 2015 Bihar assembly polls

During the Bihar Assembly polls, the share of none of the above (NOTA) option went up marginally this time as compared to the last elections but still falls short of the 2015 elections.

On Friday, the people of Bihar gave their mandate, with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coming back stronger than ever and cementing JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar's position in Bihar's political landscape.

The NDA came back to power with resounding victory, securing 202 seats out of a 243-assembly. The Mahagathbandhan on the other hand was a distant second, attaining only 35 seats.

According to the latest figures, 1.81 per cent or 6,65,870 of the total votes polled went to the NOTA option on electronic voting machines (EVMs) when voting took place for the 243-member House.

During these elections, Bihar witnessed its highest voter turnout of 66.91—highest since the first Bihar elections in 1951. The state also recorded the the highest female voter turnout in its history.

In 2020, about 7,06,252 people chose the NOTA option in the assembly election, which worked out to 1.68 per cent of the total votes polled.

However, the number of people who had chosen NOTA in 2015 was 9.4 lakh out of 3.8 crore people who voted, which comes to 2.48 per cent.

The NOTA recorded its lowest percentage during the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.

(with PTI inputs)