In MP’s Indore, NOTA becomes the runner-up with over 210,000 votes

Indore, June 4: In a shocking development, NOTA (none of the above) has secured more than 210,000 votes in the Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, next only to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Shankar Lalwani who has secured 12,12,104 votes.

The Congress had asked people to vote NOTA after its candidate from the Indore Lok Sabha seat, Akshya Kanti Bam, went to the Indore district collector’s office along with BJP minister Kailash Vijayvargiya and lawmaker Ramesh Mendola, on April 29 and withdrew his nomination.

Rather than supporting any of the candidates who were still in the fray, the Madhya Pradesh Congress decided to campaign for NOTA.

NOTA gives voters an option to reject all candidates in a constituency.

Congress state president Jitu Patwari thanked people for supporting NOTA, saying people have given a befitting response to the BJP, which used money and people to subvert democracy.

Indore voted on May 13 and saw 61.75% of the 25.27 lakh electors exercising their franchise.