Security deposits of 209 AAP candidates forfeited in Karnataka elections

All the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidates in Karnataka have lost their security deposits. The Representation of the People Act, 1951, requires every candidate to deposit a certain amount with the Election Commission to contest polls.

New Delhi: The 209 candidates of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Karnataka have lost their security deposits, according to the Karnataka Assembly Elections declared by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The Representation of the People Act, 1951, requires every candidate to deposit a certain amount with the Election Commission to contest polls.

To contest the Lok Sabha elections in the country, general candidates have to deposit a security deposit of Rs 25,000 at the time of nomination. However, for the assembly elections, a general category candidate needs to deposit RS 10,000 while a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe candidate needs to deposit Rs 5,000. A candidate needs to secure at least one-sixth of the votes polled to get back the deposit. The candidates, who fail to get the required number of votes, lose or forfeit their deposit.

Aam Aadmi Party fielded its candidates in 209 seats for the Karnataka assembly elections. According to the Election Commission of India, after the counting of votes was completed on Saturday, the Aam Aadmi Party secured a 0.58 per cent vote share. The party bagged only 2.25 lakh votes and the deposits of all the candidates of Aam Aadmi Party were forfeited.

Earlier on Saturday, Congress in Karnataka won 136 seats pushing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) out of power in the only southern state it ruled and boosting its prospects for the electoral battles ahead. However, BJP bagged 65 seats. Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) managed to win 19 seats. Independents have won two seats while Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha and Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha won one seat each.