What is NOTA in Rajya Sabha elections and how does it work

In January 2014, the Election Commission of India had issued a circular stating that NOTA will be included in the Rajya Sabha elections.

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the use of NOTA or none of the above option in the Rajya Sabha elections. What is NOTA in a Rajya Sabha election?

10 Rajya Sabha MPs are retiring in 2017- one from Goa, three from Gujarat and six from West Bengal.

Congress' Shantaram Naik, who held the RS seat from Goa, retired on July 18, 2017. The election was won by BJP's Vijay Tendulkar. From Gujarat, Congress' Ahmed Patel and BJP's Smriti Irani and Dilip Pandya will retire alongside six others from WB on August 18, 2017.

What is NOTA in a Rajya Sabha election? Here is an explainer.

ECI notification:

In January 2014, the Election Commission of India had issued a circular stating that NOTA will be included in the Rajya Sabha elections. Since then RS elections have been held in 16 states. NOTA has been applicable in all these elections.

How NOTA works in the RS elections:

MLAs will have to show their ballot paper to the authorised party agent before putting it in the ballot box. If he choses the NOTA option, then he cannot be disqualified from being a legislator. The party can however chose to take disciplinary action, but the person can continue being an MLA. The EC rules say that his or her vote cannot be invalidated for defying the whip or party's directions.

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