Context: Those candidates who lost in the recent state Assembly polls of Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat will lose their election security deposit.

Election security deposit

• It is an amount that is to be deposited with the Returning Officer when a candidate files their nomination.

• It is submitted either in cash or a receipt enclosed with the nomination paper showing that the amount has been deposited by candidate in the Reserve Bank of India or in a Government Treasury.

• This practice ensures that only genuinely intending candidate files nomination to be a part of electoral process.

Amount of Election security deposit

• Amount for elections depends on the type of election being conducted.

• Representation of the People Act of 1951(RPA act 1951) mentions amount to be deposited depending on the level of election.

• For Parliamentary elections amount is Rs 25,000 and Rs 12,500 for a Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidate.

• For State Assembly or Council constituency (level of legislative bodies in the states) elections-Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 for an SC/ST candidate.

• For Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections deposit of Rs 15,000 is to be made.

Cases when Candidate lose their security deposit

• Under RPA act 1951- deposit will be forfeited if in election results number of valid votes polled by the candidate is less than 1/6th of the total number of valid votes polled.

• In case of the election of more than one member it will be 1/6th of the total number of valid votes polled divided by number of members to be elected. This is related to proportional representation method adopted in Rajya Sabha.

• If at a general election, candidate is contesting in more than one parliamentary constituency or assembly constituency, only one deposit will be returned and others will be forfeited.

Cases when amount is returned

• Under RPA act 1951- If candidate meets the set threshold- deposit will be returned after the result of the election is declared.

• If candidate withdraws its nomination or passes away before the polls.