Delhi polls: Congress retains deposit in only 3 seats, 80% of candidates forfeit deposits

Delhi Polls: Congress candidates forfeited their security deposits in all but three seats during the Delhi Assembly elections, as nearly 80% of all contestants, including independents, lost their deposits.

Candidates from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and its allies, Janata Dal (United) and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), managed to retain their deposits after the election results were announced on Saturday.

Out of the 699 candidates who contested, 555 (79.39%) forfeited their deposits in the February 5 elections.

The Congress faced a disappointing outcome, failing to secure a single seat for the third consecutive time, with 67 of its candidates losing their security deposits. The party, which governed Delhi for three consecutive terms until 2013, had fielded candidates in all 70 constituencies.

Only three Congress candidates—Abhishek Dutt from Kasturba Nagar, who was the only one to finish second, Rohit Choudhary from Nangloi Jat, and Devendra Yadav from Badli—managed to retain their deposits.

Shifa-ur-Rehman Khan of AIMIM, which contested two seats, also retained his deposit in Okhla.

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As per the Representation of the People Act, 1951, candidates from the general category must deposit Rs 10,000 as security, while those from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes must deposit Rs 5,000.

According to election laws, a candidate’s deposit is forfeited if they are not elected and fail to secure more than one-sixth of the total valid votes polled.

The BJP returned to power in Delhi after 26 years, winning 48 out of 70 seats, while AAP secured 22.

(With inputs from PTI)