Did you know 85% of candidates lost their deposit money in 2009 elections?

As many as 85 percent of candidates in 2009 elections had to forfeit their deposit as they did not get a even one-sixth of the total valid votes polled in their constituency, according to data available on the Election Commission website.

The election commission rules mandate that a candidate should make a security deposit of Rs 25,000 while filing nomination. For scheduled castes and tribes, the amount is Rs 12,500. If they fail to get one-sixth of the total valid votes in their respective constituency, they have to forfeit the deposit.

As per the data, of the total 8070 candidates, 6829 lost their deposit in 2009. Amongst those who lost their security deposits, 779 were from the National Parties, 80 from the state parties, 2,164 from the unrecognised registered parties and 3,806 were independents.

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In other words, about 48 percent of the seven national parties (BJP, BSP, CPI, CPM, INC, NCP and RJD), 20.3 percent of the state parties, 97.38 percent of unrecognized registered parties and 99.34 percent of the independent aspirants lost their security money during the 2009 general elections, brokerage house Motilal Oswal notes.

The number of candidates who are losing their security deposit has been rising steadily. According to Motilal Oswal, in the first Lok Sabha Elections in 1951-52, only 40 percent, or 745, of 1,874 candidates forfeited their deposits. In 1999, the proportion was 73 percent, 2004 it stood at 78 percent.

But this is not putting aspirants off. That is why the number of independent candidates at 3,831 was a staggering 40 percent of the total candidates. Only 25 percent of these independent aspirants got their money back.

Check out the graphic below: