Despite AAP tsunami, its Bholath candidate loses security deposit

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Jalandhar, March 11

The election results in the Doaba belt were unique in more than one way. It was here that all the parties got some representation. If it was the AAP that got 10 seats, the Congress too got nine and all other parties, including SAD, BJP and BSP, all got one seat each. It was in the Doaba only that an Independent too got a chance to represent a segment.

One surprising revelation is that it is in Doaba that one of the candidates of the AAP, which swept the state, lost his security deposit. Even amid the wave, AAP candidate Rana Ranjit Singh of Bholath lost his deposit from here. He polled 13,528 votes out of the total 90,122 votes cast in this constituency. For achieving the figure of 1/6 of the total votes (16.66 per cent) polled to save the deposits, he was required to secure at least 15,020 votes here.

If Congress candidates, including Navtej Cheema from Sultanpur Lodhi (he also trailed from his native Busowal village by 150 votes) and Satvir Palli Jhikki, got their deposits forfeited, several SAD candidates also faced a similar fate. A huge victory by Independent candidate Rana Inder Partap from Sultanpur Lodhi also led to forfeiture of security by SAD candidate there.

Capt Harminder Singh of SAD, who polled 17,374 votes, got 16.28 per vote share which was marginally less than the required figure of 17,778. He needed another 408 votes to prevent his security from being forfeited. Another SAD candidate who failed miserably was Chandan Grewal (contesting from the Jalandhar Central), who polled only 10.24 per cent votes.

Similarly, various BJP candidates also lost their deposits. Besides senior BJP leader Vijay Sampla and Balachaur candidate Ashok Bath, even Kartarpur BJP candidate and Jalandhar Cantt BJP candidates lost their deposits. Kartarpur candidate Surinder Mahey polled only 5,518 (4.41 per cent) votes. Former MLA Sarabjit Makkar who contested from the Jalandhar Cantt also lost his deposit. His vote percentage was only 12.75 and he came at number 4 position.