HC-NIC

C/SCA/13552/2015

ORDER

IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD

SPECIAL CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 13552 of 2015
==========================================================
KHEMCHAND RAJARAM KOSHTI....Petitioner(s)
Versus
STATE OF GUJARAT & 1....Respondent(s)
==========================================================

Appearance:
MR PS CHAMPANERI, ADVOCATE for the Petitioner(s) No. 1
ADVANCE COPY SERVED TO GP/PP for the Respondent(s) No. 1
==========================================================

CORAM: HONOURABLE THE ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE

MR.JAYANT PATEL
and
HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE N.V.ANJARIA

Date : 21/08/2015
ORAL ORDER
(PER : HONOURABLE THE ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE
MR.JAYANT PATEL)
1.

We have heard Mr.Champaneri, learned counsel

for the petitioner.

2.

Section 79(d) of the Representation of the

People Act, 1951 (hereinafter referred to as R.P. Act)

reads as under.

(d) "electoral right" means the right of a person to

stand or not to stand as, or to withdraw or not to
withdraw from being, a candidate, or to vote or refrain
from voting at an election

3.
Member

The aforesaid shows that for the election of

of

Parliament

and

Member

of

Legislative

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Assembly which is governed by the provisions of the

Representation of the People Act, electoral right of
the voters expressly provides for right to vote or to
refrain

from

expressly

voting

provided

at

the

in

election.

the

Such

statute

concept

negates

the

obligation in the nature of compulsion to be read upon

the voters to vote.

4.
the

As per the provisions of Part IX and IXA of

Constitution

Municipalities
further,

the

are

of

India,

given

elections

Panchayats

constitutional
of

the

status

Panchayats

as

and
and
per

Article 243-A and Article 243-ZA are to be conducted

by

the

State

Election

Commission.

As

per

the

provisions of the respective statutes, namely Gujarat

Panchayats Act, Gujarat Municipalities Act and Bombay
Provincial

Municipalities

Act,

voters

list

of

the

voters are to be the same as that of electoral roll of

the Legislative Assembly prepared and revised under
the provisions of the Representation of the People Act
for

the

time

being

in

force,

subject

to

the

modification under the Act. When the elections of the

Municipal Corporations, Municipalities and Panchayats
are to be conducted by the State Election Commission,

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more particularly at par with the election of the

Member

of

Legislative

Assembly

and

Member

of

Parliament, it prima-facie appears that right to vote

should have the same meaning as so expressly provided
under

Section

79(d)

of

the

R.P.

Act

as

referred

hereinabove.

5.

It

is

true

that

Panchayats

and

Municipalities is a subject of the State in List II of

the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, but
any statute made by the State Legislative has to meet
with

the

constitutional

provisions

and

more

particularly above-referred Part IX and IXA of the

Constitution of India. Apart from above, duty which is
otherwise not provided under the Representation of the
People Act upon the voters for the election of Member
of Parliament or election of Member of Legislative
Assembly,
elections

prima-facie
of

cannot

Municipal

be

imposed

Corporations,

in

the

Municipalities

and Panchayats.

6.

Right to vote is a statutory right conferred

upon any voter. By virtue of statutory provisions it

entitles voters to cast the vote. The moment such
provision is accepted as that of entitlement to cast

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the vote, compulsion or obligation created to cast the

vote would negate the entitlement on right of any
voter. Once the name of any person is included in the
voters list, entitlement on right to cast the vote
would accrue but thereafter obligation or compulsion
cannot be read or provided upon the voter to cast the
vote. It is hardly required to be stated that when any
statute provides for a right to any citizen, such
citizen is bound to have freedom not to opt for such
right or exercise such right. Such freedom with any
voter is in-built in the provisions of Article 19(1)
(g) of the Constitution of India. The Representation
of People Act expressly recognises such right to vote
including the right to refrain from voting. But even
otherwise also, whenever any right is conferred upon
any person to do a particular act, it would always
include right to refrain therefrom.

7.

It further appears that the obligation so

created by way of compulsion is not a mere obligation,

but

it

further

therefore,
gravity.

the

The

provides
compulsion

moment

there

for
so
is

penal
imposed
more

consequences,
is

with

gravity

of

more
the

compulsion so created, it would further negate the

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right to vote and right to refrain from voting.

8.

In

view

of

above,

it

prima-facie

appears

that obligation so created by Gujarat Act No.21 of

2014

bringing

Provincial

about

Municipal

the

amendment

Corporation

under
Act,

Bombay
Gujarat

Municipalities Act and Gujarat Panchayats Act may run

counter

to

the

basic

principles

of

entitlement

on

right of the voters to vote. At this stage, we may

profitably refer to the observations made by the Apex
Court in case of People's Union for Civil Liberties
Vs Union of India [2013(3) GLH 334 : (2013)10 SCC 1]
and more particularly paragraph 44 to 57.

45. Democracy and free elections are part of

the basic structure of the Constitution. In
Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj Narain, 1975 Supp 1
SCC 198 : (AIR 1975 SC 2299), Khanna, J., held
that democracy postulates that there should be
periodic elections where the people should be
in
a
position
to
re-elect
their
old
representatives or change the representatives
or elect in their place new representatives. It
was also held that democracy can function only
when elections are free and fair and the people
are free to vote for the candidates of their
choice. In the said case, Article 19 was not in
issue and the observations were in the context
of
basic
structure
of
the
Constitution.
Thereafter,
this
Court
reiterated
that
democracy is the basic structure of the
Constitution in Mohinder Singh Gill and Another
v. Chief Election Commissioner, New Delhi and
Others, (1978) 1 SCC 405 : (AIR 1978 SC 851)
and Kihoto Hollohon v. Zachillhu and Others,

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1992 (Supp) 2 SCC 651 : (AIR 1993 SC 412).

46. In order to protect the right in terms of Section
79(d) and Rule 49-O, viz., "right not to vote", we are
of the view that this Court is competent/well within
its power to issue directions that secrecy of a voter
who decides not to cast his vote has to be protected in
the same manner as the Statute has protected the right
of a voter who decides to cast his vote in favour of a
candidate. This Court is also justified in giving such
directions in order to give effect to the right of
expression under Article 19(1)(a) and to avoid any
discrimination by directing the Election Commission to
provide NOTA button in the EVMs.
47. With regard to
ASG, by drawing our
Act, contended that
cast a vote and it
Section 62(1) of the

the above, Mr. Malhotra, learned

attention to Section 62 of the RP
this Section enables a person to
has no scope for negative voting.
RP Act reads as under:

"62. Right to vote.- (1) No person who is not, and

except as expressly provided by this Act, every
person who is, for the time being entered in the
electoral roll of any constituency shall be
entitled to vote in that constituency."
48. Mr. Malhotra, learned ASG has also pointed out that
elections are conducted to fill a seat by electing a
person by a positive voting in his favour and there is
no concept of negative voting under the RP Act.
According to him, the Act does not envisage that a
voter has any right to cast a negative vote if he does
not like any of the candidates. Referring to Section
2(d) of the RP Act, he asserted that election is only a
means of choice or election between various candidates
to fill a seat. Finally, he concluded that negative
voting (NOTA) has no legal consequence and there shall
be no motivation for the voters to travel to the
polling booth and reject all the candidates, which
would have the same effect of not going to the polling
station at all.
49. However, correspondingly, we should also appreciate
that the election is a mechanism, which ultimately
represents the will of the people. The essence of the
electoral system should be to ensure freedom of voters
to exercise their free choice. Article 19 guarantees
all individuals the right to speak, critisize, and
disagree on a particular issue. It stands on the spirit
of tolerance and allows people to have diverse views,
ideas and ideologies. Not allowing a person to cast
vote negatively defeats the very freedom of expression
and the right ensured in Article 21 i.e., the right to
liberty.

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50. Eventually, voters' participation explains the

strength of the democracy. Lesser voter participation
is the rejection of commitment to democracy slowly but
definitely whereas larger participation is better for
the democracy. But, there is no yardstick to determine
what the correct and right voter participation is. If
introducing
a
NOTA
button
can
increase
the
participation of democracy then, in our cogent view,
nothing should stop the same. The voters' participation
in the election is indeed the participation in the
democracy itself. Non-participation causes frustration
and disinterest, which is not a healthy sign of a
growing democracy like India.
Conclusion:
51.
Democracy
being
the
basic
feature
of
our
constitutional set up, there can be no two opinions
that free and fair elections would alone guarantee the
growth of a healthy democracy in the country. The
'Fair' denotes equal opportunity to all people.
Universal adult suffrage conferred on the citizens of
India by the Constitution has made it possible for
these millions of individual voters to go to the polls
and thus participate in the governance of our country.
For democracy to survive, it is essential that the best
available
men
should
be
chosen
as
people's
representatives for proper governance of the country.
This can be best achieved through men of high moral and
ethical values, who win the elections on a positive
vote. Thus in a vibrant democracy, the voter must be
given an opportunity to choose none of the above (NOTA)
button, which will indeed compel the political parties
to nominate a sound candidate. This situation palpably
tells us the dire need of negative voting.
52. No doubt, the right to vote is a statutory right
but it is equally vital to recollect that this
statutory right is the essence of democracy. Without
this, democracy will fail to thrive. Therefore, even if
the right to vote is statutory, the significance
attached with the right is massive. Thus, it is
necessary to keep in mind these facets while deciding
the issue at hand.
53. Democracy is all about choice. This choice can be
better expressed by giving the voters an opportunity to
verbalize themselves unreservedly and by imposing least
restrictions on their ability to make such a choice. By
providing NOTA button in the EVMs, it will accelerate
the effective political participation in the present
state of democratic system and the voters in fact will
be empowered. We are of the considered view that in
bringing out this right to cast negative vote at a time
when electioneering is in full swing, it will foster
the purity of the electoral process and also fulfill

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one of its objective, namely, wide participation of

people.
54. Free and fair election is a basic structure of the
Constitution and necessarily includes within its ambit
the right of an elector to cast his vote without fear
of
reprisal,
duress
or
coercion.
Protection
of
elector's identity and affording secrecy is therefore
integral to free and fair elections and an arbitrary
distinction between the voter who casts his vote and
the voter who does not cast his vote is violative of
Article 14. Thus, secrecy is required to be maintained
for both categories of persons.
55. Giving right to a voter not to vote for any
candidate while protecting his right of secrecy is
extremely important in a democracy. Such an option
gives the voter the right to express his disapproval
with the kind of candidates that are being put up by
the political parties. When the political parties will
realize that a large number of people are expressing
their disapproval with the candidates being put up by
them, gradually there will be a systemic change and the
political parties will be forced to accept the will of
the people and field candidates who are known for their
integrity.
56. The direction can also be supported by the fact
that in the existing system a dissatisfied voter
ordinarily does not turn up for voting which in turn
provides
a
chance
to
unscrupulous
elements
to
impersonate the dissatisfied voter and cast a vote, be
it a negative one. Furthermore, a provision of negative
voting would be in the interest of promoting democracy
as it would send clear signals to political parties and
their candidates as to what the electorate think about
them.
57. As mentioned above, the voting machines in the
Parliament have three buttons, namely, AYES, NOES, and
ABSTAIN. Therefore, it can be seen that an option has
been given to the members to press the ABSTAIN button.
Similarly, the NOTA button being sought for by the
petitioners is exactly similar to the ABSTAIN button
since by pressing the NOTA button the voter is in
effect saying that he is abstaining from voting since
he does not find any of the candidates to be worthy of
his vote.

9.
only

If interim order is not passed, it may not

create

complication

of

penal

action

at

all

ensuing elections, but validity of all such elections

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may be questionable and vulnerable on the ground of

freedom

and

fairness

to

be

made

available

to

the

voters/citizens as guaranteed under the Constitution

of India.

10.

In view of above, following order is passed.

Rule, returnable on 24th September,

2015.

By way of interim order, there shall be interim relief

in terms of paragraph 9(B).

Notice to the Advocate General.

Direct service is permitted. Additionally,
the process shall also go through regular mode at the
cost of the petitioner.

(JAYANT PATEL, ACJ.)

(N.V.ANJARIA, J.)
Anup

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