Political parties in Telangana divided over NOTA in local body polls

BRS welcomes the move, while Congress opposes the proposal, citing increased election expenses for both the government and candidates

Hyderabad: Political parties remain divided on inclusion of NOTA (None of the Above) as a fictious candidate in local body elections. The State Election Commission (SEC) had made the proposal to curb the alleged auctioning of the sarpanch posts in gram panchayats across Telangana.

Under the proposed system, if NOTA receives the highest number of votes, re-elections will be held, and the losing candidates will be barred from contesting again. In a second election, if NOTA still leads, the candidate with the next highest votes will be declared the winner without another re-election.

---

During the all-party meeting convened on Wednesday, the SEC cited Maharashtra and Haryana as States that have already adopted this method. But the ruling Congress has strongly opposed the proposal, citing increased election expenses for both the government and candidates. In contrast, the BRS welcomed the move, arguing that NOTA as a fictitious candidate could prevent intimidation tactics and undue influence in local body elections.

However, the BJP has remained non-committal, pointing out that the Supreme Court is hearing a case on NOTA’s role in the elections. The party stated that the SEC lacks the authority to make such a decision and that the government must take a final call.

While supporting NOTA’s presence, the CPI (M) opposed re-elections if NOTA secures the majority vote, stating that such a system would be impractical. Meanwhile, TDP has sought more time to decide, and the Jana Sena Party has backed the proposal.