Haryana

• 09 Oct 2024

Losing Security Deposit in Elections

Why in News?

Recently, despite a significant push in Haryana, a political party failed to win any seats in the local elections, resulting in the forfeiture of candidates' security deposits due to not meeting the required vote percentage.

Key Points

• Security Deposit Mandate:
  • As per the Representation of People Act, 1951, candidates must deposit a security amount when contesting elections.
  • For Parliamentary elections: Rs. 25,000; for Assembly elections: Rs. 10,000.
  • This ensures that only genuinely committed candidates submit nominations.
• Forfeiture of Security Deposit:
  • A candidate must secure at least one-sixth (16.67%) of the total valid votes cast to retain the deposit, If not, the deposit is forfeited to the Election Commission.
• Example Calculation:
  • In an Assembly seat with 200,000 votes, candidates must secure over 33,332 votes to avoid losing their deposit.

The Representation of the People Act (RPA),1951

• It regulates the actual conduct of elections and by-elections.
• RPA, 1951 provides administrative machinery for conducting elections.
• It deals with the registration of political parties.
• This specifies the qualifications and disqualifications for membership of the Houses.
• It provides provisions to curb corrupt practices and other offences.
• It lays down the procedure for settling doubts and disputes arising out of elections.