Pune Voters Make Strong Statement with NOTA in Municipal Elections
More than two lakh voters in Pune selected the None of the Above option during the recent Pune Municipal Corporation elections. This significant number of NOTA votes actually exceeded the total votes received by several established political parties.
NOTA Outperforms Multiple Parties
The State Election Commission released data showing that 2,21,209 voters chose NOTA from the total 74,63,824 voters who participated. This represents nearly 3 percent of all votes cast in the election.
The NOTA count surpassed votes for several political entities:
- Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured 50,517 votes
- Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) received 1,55,788 votes
- Independent candidates collectively polled 1,47,278 votes
- Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) also received fewer votes than NOTA
These elections marked the first time AAP contested PMC polls. A total of 1,155 candidates competed for 165 seats in elections held after a nine-year gap.
Sharp Increase in NOTA Percentage
The nearly 3 percent NOTA vote share in PMC elections represents a substantial increase compared to recent elections. During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Pune recorded only 0.68 percent NOTA votes.
In subsequent Assembly elections, the six Pune constituencies showed NOTA percentages ranging from 0.68 to 0.72 percent. Individual constituency data reveals:
- Shivaji Nagar: 2,044 NOTA votes (1.33%)
- Parvati: 246 NOTA votes (1.6%)
- Kothrud: 3,152 NOTA votes (1.35%)
- Kasba: 1,213 NOTA votes (0.72%)
- Hadapsar: 2,046 NOTA votes (0.93%)
- Pune Cantonment: 1,815 NOTA votes (1.16%)
Political Expert Weighs In on Trend
Anish Tore, a professor of political economics at a Pune college, commented on the high NOTA numbers. He stated that these votes reflect growing public disillusionment with the political system.
"In the last 4-5 years the state has seen every other kind of permutation and combinations which has really taken ideology off the political system," Tore explained. "The voters have somehow got disenchanted about the process and chosen NOTA."
However, Tore noted that NOTA currently has limited practical impact. "As of now NOTA is a tiger without teeth, but if a significant number of voters continue to choose NOTA, more electoral reforms can be expected," he added.
Party Performance and Electoral Context
The BJP secured the highest number of votes at 32,18,664, followed by the Nationalist Congress Party with 17,86,172 votes. The Congress polled 6,32,924 votes, while Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) received 5,22,138 votes.
Other notable vote counts include:
- Shiv Sena (UBT): 3,11,669 votes
- NCP (Sharad Pawar): 2,88,200 votes
In terms of seats, the BJP won 119 seats while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP secured 27 seats. The BJP improved its overall tally in the PMC.
Background on NOTA and Reform Demands
The NOTA option was introduced on electronic voting machines following a Supreme Court directive in 2013. It first appeared during the Rajasthan Assembly elections. This option allows voters to formally register their dissatisfaction with all contesting candidates.
Electoral activists continue to demand further reforms related to NOTA. They propose provisions for election cancellation or candidate list redrawing if NOTA crosses a specific vote threshold.
The Pune Municipal Corporation election results clearly demonstrate that a substantial number of voters prefer none of the available candidates over established political options. This trend suggests changing voter attitudes toward traditional political participation in urban Maharashtra.
