- Bihar assembly elections resulted in NDA winning 202 seats with BJP as top performer
- NOTA votes in Bihar 2025 reached 1.81 percent despite the highest voter turnout
- NOTA votes exceeded victory margins in 27 constituencies indicating voter discontent
Bihar has completed its assembly elections, and the NDA has secured a sweeping victory with 202 seats. The BJP has emerged as the standout performer this time. But beyond the big wins, another trend quietly made its mark-the rise of NOTA (None of the Above) votes.
What Is NOTA And Why It Matters?
The NOTA option was introduced in Indian elections in 2013 after a landmark Supreme Court judgment in the PUCL vs Union of India case. The Court directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to include a NOTA button on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and ballot papers, giving voters the right to reject all candidates while maintaining secrecy.
NOTA In Bihar: Small Share, Big Impact
According to ECI data, 9.1 lakh votes went to NOTA in the 2025 Bihar assembly elections, which is 1.81 per cent of the total vote share. This happened despite Bihar recording its highest-ever voter turnout of 66.91 per cent.
While the increase is marginal compared to 1.7 per cent in 2020, it is still lower than the 2.5 per cent recorded in 2015, when NOTA debuted in Bihar.
NOTA's presence isn't limited to state polls. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Bihar saw 5.8 lakh NOTA votes (1.6 per cent), which rose to 2 per cent in 2019 and further to 2.1 per cent in 2024, when nearly 9 lakh voters chose NOTA.
Margins Vs NOTA: A Striking Trend
In the 2025 assembly elections, NOTA votes exceeded victory margins in 27 constituencies, signalling voter discontent. The most dramatic case was Sandesh, where the winning margin was just 27 votes, while 4,160 votes went to NOTA-a staggering 15,307 per cent difference where JD(U) has won the seat.
Other Close Contests
Ramgarh: Victory margin of 30 votes vs 1,000+ NOTA votes with BSP winning on the seat.
Agiaon: Victory margin by BJP of 95 votes vs 3,600 NOTA votes.
Nabinagar and Dhaka: Similar trends with NOTA votes far outstripping victory margins.
NOTA vs Political Parties
Interestingly, NOTA's vote share was almost equal to Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM, which polled 1.85 per cent, while NOTA stood at 1.81 per cent. Several other parties, including the Bahujan Samaj Party and Sharad Pawar's NCP, recorded even lower shares.
Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party, which contested 238 seats, finished behind NOTA in 68 constituencies, about 28.6 per cent of the total. In more than three out of ten seats, NOTA polled more votes than JSP.
This election shows that while NOTA may not decide winners, it is no longer a symbolic option. In dozens of seats, its numbers were higher than the margin of victory, making it a silent but significant player in Bihar's electoral politics.
