Despite huge mandate, 3 BJP candidates lose deposit in UP polls

Lucknow: Even though it got an overwhelming majority in the recently-concluded Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, there were certain reverses also for the BJP. Three BJP candidates lost their electoral deposits.

Candidates contesting from Kunda (in Pratapgarh), Malhani (in Jaunpur), and Rasara (in Ballia) failed to secure enough votes to prevent forfeiture of their deposits.

According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), in Kunda Assembly constituency, BJP candidate Sindhuja Mishra got 16,445 or 8.36 per cent of the total votes polled. Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya of Jansatta Dal Loktantrik emerged as the winner there getting 99,612 votes (50.58 per cent). He defeated his closest rival, Gulshan Yadav of Samajwadi Party (SP) by 30,315 votes. In all, a total of 1,96,940 votes were polled in Kunda.

Also read: Exit polls predict BJP win in Uttar Pradesh, with lesser seats though

In Malhani, BJP candidate Krishna Pratap Singh KP polled 18,319 votes (8.01 per cent), while Lucky Yadav of SP got 97,357 votes (42.57 per cent). Lucky defeated Dhananjay Singh of Janata Dal-United by a margin of 17,527 votes.

In Rasara assembly constituency, BSP’s Uma Shankar Singh got 87,887 votes (43.82 per cent) and emerged as the winner. BJP candidate Babban could only get 24,235 votes or 12.08 per cent of the total votes cast. Uma Shankar Singh defeated Mahendra of Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) by a margin of 6,581 votes.

In the 2017 UP Assembly elections, BJP candidates had lost their deposits in Sahaswan, Gauriganj, Rae Bareli, Sadabad, and Soraon.

As per the ECI rules, a candidate forfeits his/her deposit if he/she does not get more than one-sixth of the total number of votes polled.

In the recently-concluded Assembly elections, the BJP won 255 seats, while its allies Apna Dal (Sonelal) and NISHAD party won 12 and six seats respectively. Samajwadi Party, which emerged as the main opposition party, won 111 seats. Its allies, Rashtriya Lok Dal and SBSP contributed with eight and six seats, respectively.