Prayagraj region: In nine out of 17 LS polls, only winners, runners-up could save deposits
It emerges that only the winners and runners-up could save their deposits on the four parliamentary seats of the Prayagraj region: Allahabad, Phulpur, Pratapgarh and Kaushambi
Of the 17 Lok Sabha elections held from 1952 to 2019, there are only nine elections in which the deposits of candidates who won, or, ended up runners-up on Prayagraj parliamentary seats —Allahabad and Phulpur— could save their deposits. Only in the remaining eight elections could other candidates also save their security deposits.
If the Election Commission’s data of the Lok Sabha elections 2019 is scrutinised, it emerges that only the winners and runners-up could save their deposits on the four parliamentary seats of the Prayagraj region: Allahabad, Phulpur, Pratapgarh and Kaushambi.
In Allahabad and Phulpur, from the first election ie 1952 to the sixth election ie 1977, the security deposit of all the candidates except the winner and the runner-up was forfeited.
Records show that the number of candidates started increasing since the 1971 Lok Sabha elections. And, along with this, the number of candidates losing their deposits also increased.
In the 1971 elections, 11 candidates each were in the fray from both the Allahabad and Phulpur seats, and out of which the deposits of nine each were forfeited. In the 1977 elections, 11 candidates were in the fray from Allahabad and six from Phulpur. This time, except for the winner and runner-up, the deposits of the rest were forfeited.
In 1984 polls, 24 out of 26 candidates from Allahabad and 11 out of 13 from Phulpur got less than the required number of votes to save their deposits, while a similar situation was seen in the 2009 elections when the security deposit of 29 out of 31 candidates of Allahabad and 22 out of 24 candidates of Phulpur was lost by the candidates.
Situation was slightly better in five elections
The situation was slightly better in the elections of 1989, 1996, 1998, 2004 and 2014, ECI records show.
In these five elections, apart from the winner and runners-up, the security deposit of one more candidate was saved whereas in the 1999 elections, four candidates each from both the parliamentary seats were able to save their deposits, whereas in the elections of 1980 in Phulpur and in 1991 in Allahabad, except three candidates each, all the remaining candidates lost their deposits. The runners-up candidate on Pratapgarh seat too had lost his deposit this time.
A strange situation was seen in the elections held for Pratapgarh seat in 1984, in which the deposits of everyone except the winner were forfeited. This is the only such case on all four seats in the three districts. A total of 17 candidates were in the fray from Pratapgarh seat in this election, out of which the deposits of 16 were forfeited. Only Raja Dinesh Singh of Congress, who won the election, was able to save his security deposit. Out of the total 3,97,312 votes cast, about 72% ie 2,79,354 votes were received by Raja Dinesh Singh.
In most elections held for the Pratapgarh seat, the deposits of all the candidates except the winner and the runners-up have been forfeited. In 1980, 1991 and 1996, apart from the winners and losers, the security deposit of just one more candidate was saved, whereas in the 2009 elections, just four out of 23 candidates had saved their security deposits, while the security deposit of 19 was forfeited.
At the same time, in Kaushambi (formerly Chail) seat, there was only one such election of 1999, in which a maximum four candidates had saved their deposits. In 1967, 1996, 1998, 2004 and 2014, apart from the winners and losers, the deposits of one candidate each ie a total of three were saved, whereas in the rest of the elections, the deposits of everyone except the winners and losers were forfeited.
When is the security money confiscated?
Security money is required to be deposited by candidates during the nomination process. This amount is deposited in the government treasury through a treasury challan. According to the rules of the Election Commission, the security deposit is confiscated only from those candidates who fail to get more than one-sixth of the total valid votes cast in an election.