Of the 265 candidates who contested Lok Sabha elections in Gujarat, 215 (around 81%) lost their security deposits. Most of them were Independents and candidates fielded by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
The EC rules state that a candidate must secure at least one-sixth of the total votes polled to save their security deposit, which amounts to Rs 25,000 for general candidates and Rs 12,500 for scheduled caste and scheduled tribe nominees. The security deposit, submitted to the EC at the time of filing nominations, is forfeited if the candidate fails to poll the required number of votes.
118 were Independents
As per statistics provided by the EC, 9-13 lakh votes were cast in each constituency and candidates who failed to secure at least 1.5 lakh votes lost their security deposits. In all, 50 candidates from BJP, Congress and AAP, and 118 Independents polled below 20,000 votes each and lost their deposits.
Other candidates who lost their money were from lesser-known parties like Insaniyat Party, Garib Kalyan Party, New India United Party, Malwa Congress and Rashtra Nirman Party.
Meanwhile, 16 candidates, including 8 Independents, lost their deposits in Ahmedabad-East seat, while 13 candidates, including seven Independents, faced the same fate in Sabarkantha.
Twelve candidates each lost their deposit money in Vadodara, Navsari, Gandhinagar, Surendranagar and Jamnagar, 11 each in Bharuch and Bhavnagar, and 10 each in Banaskantha, Porbandar and Kheda.
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