New Delhi: Just hours after the Supreme Court on Friday recognized the right of voters to reject all candidates in a poll, Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP's prime ministerial candidate welcomed the court's judgement saying that it will have a long lasting impact.
"I am sure it will have a long lasting impact on our polity and will be a great step in the direction of further electoral reforms that can make our democracy even more vibrant and participative," Modi said.
However, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury has said that the verdict is pointless as it won't affect the final results of a poll.
The Aam Aadmi Party, which has been calling for electoral reforms and has been claiming that it will field only candidates with clean image, welcomed the Supreme Court order.
"It is important for people to have a right to reject candidates. This will reflect the will of people. There is a lot of apathy within the people. Right now money and proximity to senior party members is needed to contest elections. This move will bring a change leading to an opportunity for deserving candidates to contest polls," Aam Aadmi Party member Shazia Ilmi said.
Directing the Election Commission of India to have a "none of the above" button on electronic voting machines (EVMs)and ballot papers which can be used by the voters to reject all the candidates contesting elections in a constituency, the Supreme Court also said that secrecy of vote where "none of the above" is exercised should be maintained. While delivering the verdict the Supreme Court said that this move will go a long way in cleansing the political system of the country. According to the Suoreme court order negative voting will foster purity and vibrancy in elections as at the end of the list of candidates in electronic voting machines (EVMs) and ballot papers, the electorate will have the option of "none of the above" which will give them an option to reject all those contesting polls.
"Negative voting will lead to systemic change in polls and political parties will be forced to project clean candidates. If the right to vote is a statutory right, then the right to reject candidate is a fundamental right of speech and expression under Constitution," the court said. But the "none of the above" votes won't be counted, limiting the impact of the order.
The bench, while reading out the operative portion of the judgement, did not throw light on a situation in case the votes cast under no option head outnumber the votes got by the candidates. The apex court had been hearing the case for the last nine years after the People's Union for Civil Liberties decided to seek legal recourse and filed the case in 2004.
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