In a surprising outcome of the Delhi Assembly Elections 2025, the ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) option has outperformed two national parties, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM), in terms of vote share. As per the ECI’s latest data, NOTA secured 0.57% of the votes, surpassing BSP’s 0.55% and CPI(M)’s 0.01%.

The CPI(M), which has historically been a dominant force in states like Kerala, West Bengal, and Tripura, has struggled to make an impact in Delhi, yet again. The party, once led by veteran leader Sitaram Yechury, who passed away recently, has been on a steady decline in several parts of the country outside its strongholds. This election result in Delhi further underlines the diminishing electoral relevance in the national capital. 

The Bahujan Samaj Party, too, faced a major setback, failing to attract even a fraction of voter confidence in a city where it once held some influence. Meanwhile, the NOTA option, which allows voters to reject all candidates, continues to gain traction as a tool for expressing political dissatisfaction.

The Election Commission introduced NOTA in 2013 following a Supreme Court directive, allowing voters to register their discontent without revealing their identity. While NOTA does not impact the final results or force re-election, its growing presence in electoral data signals a disconnect between traditional political parties and the electorate.

Delhi’s 2025 election saw a voter turnout of 60.54%, with over 94.5 lakh people casting their votes. As far as results are concerned, BJP leads with 45.74%, closely followed by AAP at 43.78%, while Congress trails far behind at 6.37%. However, the rising preference for NOTA over established parties like CPI(M) and BSP indicates a deepening frustration among voters.

With CPI(M) struggling in regions outside its core base and BSP failing to regain lost ground, the latest results highlight the shifting political landscape in Delhi—where even rejection appears to be a stronger choice than certain political parties.