Most NOTA (None of the Above) votes logged from Puducherry

Puducherry, from where the All India NR Congress candidate R Radhakrishnan is leading INC's V Narayanasamy, has logged the maximum number of None of The Above votes in Lok Sabha elections 2014.

NOTA votes form 1.1 per cent (5269173 votes) of the total percentage of votes polled, according to Election Commission data.

But the most NOTA votes logged are in Puducherry (3.0 per cent, 22268 votes), followed by Meghalaya (2.8 per cent, 30145 votes) and Chhattisgarh (2.0 per cent,199533 votes). The NOTA option was least exercised in Lakshadweep (0.3 per cent, 123 votes).

The Election Commission of India introduced the option of negative vote (NOTA) after a recent Supreme Court order. The introduction of the NOTA option was seen as a first major step towards sweeping electoral reforms in the country. Many felt that it will make the candidates work harder to keep the faith of voters.

But in the past assembly elections, the NOTA has had little impact despite a growing disenchantment of voters with leading political parties. In the state assembly elections in 2013 in Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan NOTA proved to be a damp squib.

State-wise NOTA share in 2014 General Elections

- Andaman and Nicobar Islands : NOTA {0.8%, 1564}

- Andhra Pradesh: NOTA {0.7%,257924}

- Arunachal Pradesh: NOTA {1.1%,5741}

- Assam: NOTA {1.0%,144217}

- Bihar: NOTA {1.7%,505772}

- Chandigarh: NOTA {0.7%,3106}

- Chhattisgarh: NOTA {1.9%,209967}

- Dadra and Nagar Haveli {1.8%,2962}

- Daman and Diu: NOTA {1.5%,1316}

- Goa: {1.2%,10103}

- Gujarat: {1.8%,454338}

- Haryana: NOTA {0.3%,33628}

- Himachal Pradesh: NOTA {0.9%,29156}

- Jammu and Kashmir: NOTA {0.9%,31529}

- Jharkhand: NOTA {1.5%,166931}

- Karnataka: NOTA {0.8%,257628}

- Kerala: NOTA {1.2%,210530}

- Lakshadweep: NOTA {0.3%,123}

- Madhya Pradesh: NOTA {1.3%,391797}

- Maharashtra: NOTA {0.9%,421242}

- Manipur: NOTA {0.5%,7504}

- Meghalaya: NOTA {2.8%,30145}

- Mizoram: NOTA {1.5%,6495}

- Nagaland: NOTA {0.3%,2698}

- National Capital Territory of Delhi: {0.5%,39685}

- Odisha: NOTA {1.7%,247415}

- Puducherry: NOTA {3.0%,22268}

- Punjab: NOTA {0.4%,58658}

- Rajasthan: NOTA {1.2%,327893}

- Sikkim: NOTA {1.4%,3607}

- Tamil Nadu: NOTA {1.4%,498242}

- Tripura: NOTA {1.2%,23458}

- Uttar Pradesh: NOTA {0.7%,582241}

- Uttarakhand: NOTA {1.1%,48043}

- West Bengal: {1.1%,556366}