Nineteen of the 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala saw an increase in votes recorded under None of the Above (NOTA) in the 2024 elections compared to 2019, Election Commission of India (ECI) data show. Vadakara in north Kerala, which saw Congress’s Shafi Parambil triumphing over former Health Minister K. K. Shailaja of the CPI(M), remained the sole exception.
NOTA stood fourth in 18 constituencies in the State, just behind candidates of the three main fronts, and fifth in two seats – Ernakulam and Chalakkudy – where the fourth spot was taken by the Twenty-20 Party.
Overall, Kerala recorded a 52.95% increase in ‘NOTA votes’ compared to the 2019 LS polls. NOTA polled 1,03,596 in 2019 and 1,58,456 in 2024.
Alathur recorded the highest NOTA votes this time; 12,033. Kottayam stood second in the list with 11,933 NOTA votes.
Three constituencies, including Wayanad where Congress leader Rahul Gandhi won a second term and Kannur where KPCC president K. Sudhakaran retained his hold, saw the highest increase. Kannur saw a 131.7% increase in votes recorded under NOTA (from 3828 to 8873), Wayanad a 224.77% increase from 2155 to 6999 and Pathanamthitta a 150.92% increase from 3352 to 8411 this time.
In general, central Kerala constituencies witnessed the sharpest increase in NOTA votes over the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Vadakara alone saw a dip in NOTA – from 3,415 to 2,909 – over 2019. In all constituencies except Ernakulam and Chalakudy, NOTA came fourth. In both these constituencies that fell to the UDF, candidates of the Twenty-20 party stood fourth after the UDF, LDF and BJP candidates. In fifth position, NOTA recorded 7,758 in Ernakulam and 8,063 in Chalakudy.
NOTA also outdid parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) in Kerala.
It should also be noted that the number of voters in Kerala had risen from 2,61,51,534 in 2019 to 2,77,49,159 in the 2024 elections.
The ECI had introduced the NOTA option on ballot papers deisplayed on the electronic voting machines in 2013, following a September 27, 2013, Supreme Court order. In 2015, ECI also introduced a specific symbol for NOTA. The NOTA option allows voters to exercise their right not to vote for any of the candidates.
| NOTA | 2019 | 2024 |
| Thiruvananthapuram | 4,580 | 6,753 |
| Attingal | 5,685 | 9,791 |
| Kollam | 6,018 | 6,546 |
| Pathanamthitta | 3,352 | 8,411 |
| Mavelikara | 5,754 | 9,883 |
| Alappuzha | 6,104 | 7,365 |
| Kottayam | 7191 | 11,933 |
| Idukki | 5,317 | 9,519 |
| Ernakulam | 5,378 | 7,758 |
| Chalakudy | 7,578 | 8,063 |
| Thrissur | 4,253 | 6,072 |
| Palakkad | 6,665 | 8,793 |
| Alathur | 7,722 | 12,033 |
| Ponnani | 6,231 | 6,561 |
| Malappuram | 4,480 | 6,766 |
| Kozhikide | 3,473 | 6,316 |
| Wayanad | 2,155 | 6,999 |
| Vadakara | 3,415 | 2,909 |
| Kannur | 3,828 | 8,873 |
| Total | 1,03,596 | 1,58,456 |
