Jammu Region Political Shuffle: NOTA Dominates in Surprising Election Results

In Jammu's assembly elections, numerous candidates, including those from PDP and BSP, forfeited their security deposits by failing to secure one-sixth of the votes. The NC-Congress coalition won 49 seats, overshadowing BJP's record win of 29 seats. NOTA surpassed 164 candidates, marking an extraordinary voting pattern.

In an unexpected twist during the assembly elections in Jammu, a notable number of candidates, including representatives from major parties like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), lost their security deposits. These deposits were forfeited as the candidates could not secure at least one-sixth of the total valid votes, as reported in the constituency-wise results released by the Election Commission.

Tallying the votes highlighted that out of the 356 candidates contesting across 43 assembly seats in Jammu, a staggering 244 lost their security deposits. Interestingly, 164 candidates received fewer votes than those chosen for 'None of the Above' (NOTA) option, indicating a preference for none of the candidates in these constituencies.

While the NC-Congress coalition celebrated a sweeping victory post-abrogation of Article 370 by clinching 49 seats, the BJP followed as the second-largest party with a historic win of 29 seats, all in the Jammu region. Despite such victories, the elections observed a significant leaning towards NOTA, marking a unique voting trend.

(With inputs from agencies.)