MCD polls witness drop in candidates losing deposit

There was about two per cent drop in the number of candidates who lost their security deposit in the 2017 civic bodies polls compared to the last with 73.5 per cent candidates not able to get 15 per cent of the votes polled on their wards this year.

According to the State Election Commission (SEC) data of 2,516 candidates in the civic polls this year, 71.66 per cent (1,803 candidates) lost their deposit, while in 2012, out of the 2,423 candidates 73.5 per cent (1,782 candidates) had lost their deposit.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which won 181 seats in the polls, fielded its candidates on 265 seats but only five of its candidates lost their deposits.

In 2012, it contested on 272 seats and 18 of its candidates lost their deposit.

The Congress which fielded 269 candidates saw 92 of them losing their deposits. The party could only manage to win 30 seats. In 2012, it fielded 271 candidates out of which only 26 candidates lost their deposit.

Even the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has its government in the city, contested on all the 270 seats, but could only win 48 seats, while 38 of its candidates lost their deposit.

The Janata Dal-United which fielded its candidate on 94 seats, lost its deposit on all the seats, as did the Shiv Sena which contested on 56 seats and lost its deposit on all the seats.

However, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which won three seats of the 209 it contested, saw 194 of candidates not being able to save their deposit. In 2012, the BSP lost deposit on 203 seats while contesting on 253 seats.

The Samajwadi Party, which managed to win one seat, lost its deposit on 25 seats out of the 27 seats it contested. In 2012, the party had lost deposit on 101 seats of 107 seats it contested.

--IANS

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