We often face a curious dilemma during elections: whether to vote for the rape accused or the murder accused, if the one facing corruption charge will be a better MLA/MP or the one known to be a wheeler dealer? That is of course a slight exaggeration, but you get the drift. In competitive democracy, all parties are eager to get the numbers and thus eager to overlook the background of a candidate if he or she is a winning candidate. That is why, many people have doubts if any of the candidates is worth their votes and thus they do not bother to go and cast their votes. 

But the election commission has an idea. It has suggested to the government that the law be amended for making a provision in electronic voting machines to enable voters to exercise the option of not casting their votes (Rule 49-O of the Conduct of Election Rules), according to chief election commissioner SY Quraishi. According to the proposal, the 16th button in each EVM should be positioned against the legend “none of the above”, says a report in the Hindu.

So, do you think the time has come to give Indian voters the ‘none of the above’ option?