NEW DELHI: The second phase of Lok Sabha elections is being held today in 88 seats of the country, including 20 constituencies in Kerala. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has sent a notice to the Election Commission in a remarkable petition. If NOTA gets more votes than the candidates in a constituency, the petition calls for the annulment of the election and re-election. The PIL was filed in the court by a motivational speaker named Shiv Khera. It also demands that all candidates who poll less than NOTA be barred from contesting for five years.

Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for the petitioner, sought action to give NOTA enough publicity as a hypothetical candidate. Pointing out the victory of the BJP candidate in the Surat Lok Sabha constituency, the petitioner has demanded that NOTA should be allowed to win at least one candidate and that NOTA is an opportunity to deny the candidate.

The petition said NOTA is an opportunity for political parties to field their best candidates, and in some constituencies, all the candidates are accused in criminal cases, and NOTA is a weapon against them. The petition also said that the Election Commission’s lack of awareness has thwarted people’s use of NOTA to protest against the country’s troubled political system.

The petition was heard by a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud. “Let’s see what the Election Commission has to say about the election process,” the Chief Justice said.