Tamil Nadu   

They did not vote for any of 14 candidates

S. Sundar

Frustrated voters cast vote for `unknown' Independent blindly

MADURAI: Five voters in the Sivakasi constituency in Virudhunagar district have exercised the option of not voting.

One voter in booth 17 (general) and four voters in booth 120 (men) have not voted for any of the 14 candidates, Returning Officer Pooja Kulkarni said.

The presiding officers of both the booths made a mention in their diaries and Form 17 (C), she said. Many voters said that the polling officials discouraged them from exercising the option of refusing to vote. They felt embarrassed to choose this option. Besides, they feared that the agents of the candidates would identify them, as the voters had to give it in writing that he/she did not want to vote for any candidate.

An interesting feature in the pattern of voting in many constituencies in the southern districts is the candidates figuring last in the ballot units — all independents — have got unusually higher number of votes. Though not so popular in the constituencies, many of them have got votes in four digits.

For example, the last candidate (in the serial) in Oddanchatiram (Dindigul district) has got 2,263 votes and in Tenkasi (Tirunelveli district) 2,095 votes, even as all other Independent candidates have got only three-digit votes. The last candidates in all six constituencies in Virudhunagar district have got the maximum number of votes among the Independents.

In some cases, such candidates have garnered more votes than those fielded by parties.

The voting pattern indicates these candidates benefited from the frustration of voters.

"It seems the frustrated voters have blindly voted for an "unknown" Independent candidate (the last in the serial), as they did not want to vote for candidates of any major party," says an official. "Probably, if the option was given in the ballot unit itself, wherein the secrecy was maintained, many could have exercised it."

Will the Election Commission give the voters this option at least in the next election?

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