New ‘none of the above’ option does poorly in Indian elections

The BBC reports:

The new polling option is meant to “empower the voter to reject all candidates”, The Times of India reports, adding that it got a mere 0.63% of the votes in Delhi, followed by 1.9% in Madhya Pradesh and 1.92% in Rajasthan, though its tally was higher in the insurgency-affected Chhattisgarh, where 3.07% chose Nota.

The Wall Street Journal adds:

Political analysts said the number choosing to vote for “none of the above” was low in Delhi because there the AAP acted as a protest vote against the country’s two main parties…

The provision, which was introduced following a ruling in September by the Supreme Court, differs from the “right to reject” system whereby if the majority of voters reject all candidates, a reelection is held. Even if the majority of voters reject all candidates it has no affect on election outcomes in India.