Mangaluru : Nearly two per cent of voters among those who voted in the zilla panchayat election in Dakshina Kannada on February 20 have exercised the None of The Above (NOTA) option. 7,34,575 votes cast in 36 zilla panchayat constituencies, 14,243 voters (1.93 per cent) have pressed the NOTA button.

The highest NOTA votes of 1,034 were recorded in Ujire in Belthangady followed by 789 in Uppinangady constituency.

In Belandur constituency in Puttur taluk, 754 NOTA votes were cast.

No NOTA votes were recorded in Naravi constituency in Belthangady taluk.In Dharmasthala, the neighbouring constituency of Ujire, 497 NOTA votes were cast.

Green activists of Sahyadri Sanchaya, a registered body, had appealed to voters to exercise NOTA option to register their protest against the Yettinahole project. They had campaigned for the same in Belthangady, Puttur and Bantwal taluks.

The campaign was mainly taken out in Ujire, Kakkinje, Mandantyar, Punjalkatte, Nelyadi, B.C. Road and Uppinangady areas just two days before the election.

But it was not sure whether the campaign had any impact or the NOTA votes were the result of any other factors. There was direct contest between the Congress and the BJP only in 13 constituencies.

But NOTA votes have been cast in such constituencies which had more than two contestants. For example, Dharmasthala had four contestants.

Nelyadi, which had four candidates, recorded 304 NOTA votes, Konaje with three contestants recorded 297 NOTA votes. More than 500 NOTA votes were recorded in such constituencies which had a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress. For example, Bellare in Sullia taluk recorded 524 NOTA votes, Guthigar in the same taluk 524 NOTA votes, Nettanige Mudnur in Puttur Taluk 539 votes, Goltamajalu in Bantwal taluk 580 votes, Sangabettu in Bantwal 562 votes, and Punacha in the same taluk 532 votes.

In votes cast in the election to Mangaluru Taluk Panchayat, 3,086 NOTA votes were registered. The votes registered in constituencies differed from a minimum of 46 votes to a maximum of 153 votes.