After BJP's poor poll show, ABVP to launch nationwide campaign against NOTA

January 03, 2019 19:08

Following the Bharatiya Janata Party's poor show in the recent state polls, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-backed students' outfit Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad will launch a nationwide campaign against NOTA before the Lok Sabha elections.

NOTA or none of the above gives voters a right not to vote for any candidate contesting from a particular seat.

The ABVP will urge people to vote in favour of any candidate of their choice instead of opting for NOTA in the upcoming elections, its national secretary Hema Thakur said.

"The ABVP is in favour of abolishing the NOTA option in the upcoming elections in the larger interest of democracy. Even if it is not abolished, we will ask people to vote in favour of any candidate of their choice instead of opting for NOTA," Thakur told reporters here.

The decision to launch the campaign was taken at a four-day national session of the ABVP held from December 27 to 30 in Ahmedabad, she added.

However, Thakur denied that the decision was taken over the BJP's poll performance in the three states. She said that the campaign would also focus on the ABVP's slogan of 'Nation First, Voting Must' to encourage people to exercise their franchise and ultimately achieve the target of 100 per cent voting.

"It is a misconception that the ABVP is a students' wing of the BJP. The ABVP came into existence in 1949 whereas the BJP was formed after several decades in 1980. Some of our policies may be similar. Yes, the ABVP is a part of the Sangh Parivar," she said.

In several seats of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, votes polled in favour of NOTA were more than the victory margin which could have changed the final results.

In Rajasthan assembly elections, at least 15 constituencies polled more NOTA votes than the victory margin of the wining candidates. While the Congress got 99 seats in the state, the BJP managed 73 seats. -- PTI

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