BJP forfeits security deposit in 3 Bengal constituencies

Kolkata, Nov 2 (IANS) It was a dismal performance by saffron brigade in West Bengal. In three of the four assembly constituencies that went for the bypolls, the security deposit of the candidates has been forfeited. The security deposit of the BJP candidates in Gosaba, Khardha and Dihata have been forfeited, putting a huge question mark on the party's performance.

As per Section 341 (a) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, it is mandatory for the general candidates to deposit a security amount of Rs 25,000 in case of Parliamentary constituency and Rs, 10,000 to fight an election in Assembly Constituency. Candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe have to deposit only half of the amount for these two elections. If a candidate fails to get 1/6 (16.7 per cent) of the total valid votes franchised in that constituency, then the amount deposited by the candidate is seized by the Election Commission of India.

In Dinhata, Trinamool Congress candidate Udayan Guha defeated BJP candidate Ashok Mondal by a margin of 1,64,089. Guha got 1,89,575 votes, while Mondal managed to get only 25,486 votes. Even in Mondal's own booth and the former MLA Nishit Pramanik's booth, he failed to manage a lead. The total polled votes in this election were 2,25,286 and so mathematically Mondal failed to get even one sixth of the votes thus foregoing his security deposit.

The by-election will also be remembered for reasons BJP will wish to forget. Guha won by a margin of 1,64,089 votes which is the highest in the history of West Bengal election. So far Saikat Panja of Trinamool Congress who won by a margin of 1.27 lakh from Manteshwar Assembly Constituency in Bankura district was the highest margin in state's assembly polls. But in this election both Guha and Subrata Mondal in Gosaba have surpassed the record.

Mondal, who was made a candidate after three-time MLA from Gosaba in South 24 Parganas Jayanta Naskar died of Covid, defeated his nearest rival - Palash Rana of the BJP by a margin of 1,43,051 votes. While Mondal got 1,61,474 votes, Rana managed to get only 18,423 votes which is not even one sixth of the total votes polled. The security deposit of Rana was naturally forfeited.

Similarly, in Khardha where BJP's Joy Saha was fighting an unequal battle with TMC heavyweight and former minister Sovondeb Chattopadhyay lost his security deposit. Chattopadhyay who won by a margin of 93,832 votes, got 1,14,086 votes while Saha managed to get only 20,254 votes which was not even one sixth of the total votes polled.

It was only in Santipur in Nadia district where BJP managed to save their face. Though TMC's Brojokishore Goswami won by a margin of 64,675 securing 1,12,087 votes, BJP candidate Niranajan Biswas managed to get 47,412 votes and thus saving his security deposit.