An analyses of the data of the last 15 Lok Sabha elections has revealed that candidates from national parties fare well in saving their deposits in the elections.
Apart from the fact that people are interested in knowing who is the winner and who is the runner-up, another fact which interests them in the elections is how many contesting candidates could save their security deposits.
It is also a matter of pride for the candidates if they save their deposits, whereas forfeiture of deposit is often seen as humiliating.
As per the Election Commission of India Rules, if the candidate fails to get a minimum of one-sixth of the total valid votes polled, the deposit goes to the treasury.
In the first Lok Sabha elections in 1951-52, almost 40% i.e. 745 out of 1874 candidates forfeited their deposits. Since then, almost all Lok Sabha elections witnessed northward trend of lost deposits.
Its peak came in the 11th Lok Sabha elections in 1996, when 91 per cent or 12688 out of 13952 candidates lost their deposits. This was the elections which also saw the highest number of candidates contesting the Lok Sabha.
In this context, the last Lok Sabha elections in 2009 turned out to be not so good for the candidates when 85 per cent of them lost their deposits, percentage-wise the third highest after 91% in the 1996 elections and 86 % in the 1991 elections.
It shows that forfeiture of deposit has not been a deterrent for contesting elections, says a Press Information Bureau election background release on Friday.
However, an analysis of national party candidates in this regard has shown an interesting phenomenon. In the first General Elections in 1951-52, 28 % or 344 out of 1217 candidates from national parties lost their deposits.
The situation improved in the next elections in 1957 when only 130 out of 919 candidates or 14% candidates lost their deposits. The 1977 General Elections witnessed the best performance ever by national parties as only 100 out of 1060 candidates (nine per cent) from these parties lost their deposits.
Comparatively, the 2009 General Elections did not prove out to be that good for national parties' candidates as almost every second candidate lost their deposits. In 2009, as many as 779 out of 1623 candidate from national parties lost their deposits.
However, the worst ever for the national party candidates was the 11th Lok Sabha elections in 1996 when 49 % or 897 out of 1817 candidates lost their deposits.
