More voters pressing NOTA button in HP

Shimla: The option of NOTA was introduced for the first time in the last parliamentary elections in Himachal Pradesh. As many as 29,155 voters had pressed NOTA which was more than the number of votes polled by smaller parties like BSP and CPI-(M). While BSP polled BSP 22,928 votes CPI-M polled 25,399 votes. The trend of presing NOTA is picking up in the state as people residing in the remote snow-bound areas of the state have this year threatened to pres NOTA.A total of 34,232 people had pressed NOTA in the assembly elections held in 2017.
With the announcement of parliamentary elections in the state on May 19, already people have announced that they would press Nota button if their demands were not fulfilled. Residents of Lahaul-Spiti district are angry with the fact that the state government neither provided them regular flight service during winter, nor people were allowed to travel through Rohtang tunnel. While protests have already started within the district, people are threatening to press Nota button in protest on May 19.
State government employees covered under the new pension scheme also have threatened to press NOTA in case their demand to implement the 2009 notification of the Centre is not met. They have also questioned the failure of the BJP government to constitute a committee for the revival of old pension scheme.
Sources said that in 2014, Kangra parliamentary seat had witnessed 8,704 voters pressing Nota button, Shimla parliamentary seat had recorded 7,787 voters pressing Nota button, Hamirpur parliamentary seat had recorded 6,473 voters while Mandi parliamentary seat had recorded 6,191 voters. In the 2017 assembly election, a total 34,232 voters had pressed Nota button. In Shahpur assembly constituency of Kangra district 1,010 voters had pressed Nota button, in Anni (SC) assembly constituency of Kullu district 943 voters while in Joginder Nagar assembly constituency of Mandi district 1,162 voters had done the same.