I just wanted talk about the so-called 49-O protest vote. There are emails being forwarded around the internet that imply that this 49-O non-vote will somehow have some effect on somebody. Some emails even go so far as to say that if the number of 49-O votes is a majority, then election will get canceled. All of that is pretty much wishful thinking, and not true.

The 49-O vote is pretty much a waste of your time and effort.

Yes, you can choose to exercise your right to not vote under 49-O. But, no, it is unlikely to have any effect. Your non-vote is only recorded to ensure that after you non-vote, nobody else can vote using your identity. As far as a protest is concerned, only one person, the election officer, will ever know that you protested. Sort of a pointless protest, don't you think?

The only requirement is that the election officer makes a mark against your name in the voter roll. There is no requirement that the total number of 49-O votes be computed and sent to higher ups. The winner of the election will still be the person who got most valid votes – and 49-O abstains do not have any effect whatsoever. All the talk about election getting canceled and the candidate not being able to re-contest is just, as I said, wishful thinking.

I would just like to add one more scenario to your options and that is –
When you see your favourite Bollywood stars coming out and standing for the Vote Bank of some party or the other. Then you vote for the star and the party and its ideals capitalize by camoflaging their crime record by the popularity and fan following of the star. So, the new trend is a vote bank competition not to vote the party best suited for the state but the party with th best star. Soon we'll have blockbuster elections…after all its a bollywood fight!