Karnataka Verdict: NOTA Polls More Votes Than Six Parties

More votes were polled for NOTA—or “none of the above” option— than six smaller parties in Karnataka. These included two that have a nation-wide presence—the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

The BSP has a sizeable presence in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, but in Karnataka NOTA outstripped its tally by over 2 lakh votes. That’s despite the party bagging a seat in in Kollegal in south Karnataka.

NOTA was 0.9 percent of the total votes polled in the state, according to the Election Commission’s website. The Indian National Congress got the highest vote share of 38 percent, followed by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s 36.2 percent. The BJP, however, still managed to win 26 more seats than Congress’ 78.