NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha was today rocked by opposition protests over an Election Commission (EC) notification that provides the MLAs the ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) option in the vote for the elections to the Upper House.
Angry members of the Congress and other opposition parties forced adjournments of the proceedings as they questioned the NOTA provision for these elections.
Significantly, the protests come at a time when a high profile battle for Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat is round the corner involving heavy-weights like BJP chief Amit Shah, Information and Broadcasting (rpt) Information and Broadcasting minister Smriti Irani and veteran Congressman Ahmed Patel.
As soon as the House Assembled at noon, deputy leader of the Congress Anand Sharma said the decision to provide the NOTA option had been made without amending the Constitution or the law as per the direction of the Election Commission.
“It vitiates the election… Constitution has not been amended. Representation of People Act has not been amended. NOTA has been introduced…Unless Constitution is amended, how can this be done,” Sharma asked.
He said the vacancies are notified by the House and asked how could a new provision be introduced in between. (AGENCIES)
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