SC directs EC to provide for 'None of the above' option in EVM

The People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) had moved the apex court in 2004 with a plea that voters should have a right to negative vote, saying that it does not want to vote any of the candidates listed in EVM.



It had sought directions to Election Commission (EC) to make provision in the EVMs providing option "None of the Above" and the right to say NOTA should be kept secret.

The apex court bench of Justice B.N.Agrawal (since retired) and Justice G.S.Singhvi by their Feb 23, 2009 judgment while referring the matter to a larger bench had framed two questions for the court to examine "whether the right of voter to exercise his choice for the candidate is a necessary concomitant of the voter's freedom of expression guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution".