Huge number of NOTA votes were registered this general elections in rural pockets, especially the Viskaha Agency. In several Assembly segments, votes polled for NOTA seems to be more than that garnered by some candidates.
Considering the case of Araku parliamentary constituency, where about 1,57,575 votes were polled, tt was Chetti Phalguna of the YSRCP who won with a majority of 33,172 votes over TDP candidate Kidari Sravan Kumar, son of former slain TDP MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao.
Mr. Sravan Kumar got 19,929 votes, while the number of NOTA votes were 10,177 (6.46%), which is more than half of the votes the former Tribal Welfare Minister garnered in his support.
In Araku Parliamentary constituency, about 47,977 votes were polled for NOTA, almost 4.5 % of the total votes polled and the number is more than the votes polled for all the contestants except for that of the TDP and the YSRCP.
The NOTA share among the total votes polled in Paderu constituency was 5.88 %, which is even better than the votes polled in favour of the BJP and Congress candidates.
About 4,672 votes (3 %) NOTA votes were recorded in V. Madugula, 5,189 (2.65%) votes in Payakaraopeta, 5,036 (2.88 %) in Chodavaram and several other constituencies too reported number of NOTA votes.
Development plank fails
Voters in rural areas point out lack of development, especially healthcare and education facilities in the Visakhapatnam Agency for the trend.
They say that people have gone tired of with the ‘fake promises’ made by the political leader in the run-up to the elections.
“The Agency has hardly seen any development even as MLA, MPs have changed in subsequent elections. A good number of villages are yet to have proper road connectivity. Our relatives in interior areas walk miles for treatment. Students and youth still leave homes for education and employment. Why should we believe these politiccal leader?” asked D. Upendra, a B.Tech graduate from Dumbriguda in Araku constituency, who pressed NOTA option on the EVM this election.
A political leader on the condition of anonymity said that in a few constituencies, people had lost hopes on the political parties.
He also alleged that lack of basic amenities, failure of parties in dealing with long-pending issues such as unemployment, farming and a several others had left the voters angry.
“If the YSRCP government fails in providing basic facilities to the tribal people and rural areas, the NOTA votes would see a rise in the next election,” he added.