May 12, 2026 05:45 am (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Suvendu Adhikari Cabinet clears BSF land transfer, census rollout, Ayushman Bharat in Bengal | Mamata govt's welfare schemes to continue: Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari after first cabinet meeting | ‘One of life’s most emotional moments’: PM Modi performs grand Mahapuja at Somnath Temple | UPI trail cracks Suvendu Adhikari aide Chandranath Rath murder case; three arrested | Totally unacceptable: Trump rejects Iran’s peace plan in explosive showdown | Big defence boost: India successfully tests advanced Agni MIRV missile | India, Singapore unite for tough action against terror and transnational crime | TVK crosses majority mark with VCK, IUML support | I bow before Bengal: PM Modi’s powerful gesture at Suvendu Adhikari’s oath goes viral | Bengal turns a new page: Suvendu Adhikari takes oath as CM amid massive NDA show of strength

Congress moves SC against NOTA in RS poll

| | Aug 02, 2017, at 08:53 pm
New Delhi, Aug 2 (IBNS) : The Congress on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court against the Election Commission's decision to allow the use of NOTA provision in the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls as the party, rattled by defections in Gujarat, fights to stem further rot.

According to reports, a  bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra agreed to hear the plea after senior advocate Kapil Sibal mentioned the matter and sought urgent hearing.

Sibal told the top court that there is no statutory provision with regard to NOTA in the Constitution.

Rajya Sabha elections are scheduled for August 8.

On Tuesday, the Election Commission announced its decision to introduce NOTA option in the Rajya Sabha polls.

The Congress objected to it, saying it has been done “post notification” of the election and the measure is in violation of the constitution and electoral laws.

As the series of defections by party MLAs in Gujarat has alerted the Congress against the alleged BJP design to deny Sonia Ganhi's political Secretary Ahmed Patel a second term in the upper house, the EC's NOTA decision has probably pressed the panic button hard.

It fears that many of its MLAs may vote for the NOTA option during the polls spoiling the chances of Patel.

In a damage control act, the Congress has already herded its Gujarat  MLAs to Karnataka where it is in power with Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.