Pune: In a strong indication of voter dissatisfaction, nearly 47,685 electors in Pune city and district chose the "None of the Above" (NOTA) option in the recent Maharashtra Assembly Elections across 21 constituencies.
A total of 303 candidates contested the elections, representing major political coalitions such as the Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi, along with parties like the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Bahujan Samaj Party, and various local, regional parties, and independents.
The Chinchwad constituency, with 21 candidates, saw the highest number of NOTA votes as 4,316 voters rejected all candidates.
Similarly, in Wadgaon Sheri constituency, 4,237 voters selected NOTA, nearly equaling the margin that led to the defeat of NCP candidate Sunil Tingre, who lost by only 4,710 votes.
In Kothrud, where State Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil was a contender, around 3,152 voters expressed their dissatisfaction with the candidates by choosing NOTA.
Shivajinagar constituency, where BJP’s sitting MLA Siddharth Shirole was among the 12 candidates, also saw 2,044 voters opting for NOTA.
In the rural constituency of Junnar, 1,376 voters rejected all candidates, and similar numbers were observed in Ambegaon (1,157), Khed-Alandi (1,692), and Shirur (2,157).
Other constituencies that witnessed high NOTA votes include Daund (1,211), Indapur (634), Baramati (779), Purandar (1,484), Bhor (2,720), and Maval (2,715), as confirmed by district election authorities.
The data indicate that in both urban and rural areas, many voters remain discontented with the available candidates, underscoring a growing trend of disenchantment with the political options presented to them.
