Over 99% independent candidates lost deposits since 1991
NEW DELHI, Apr 4: As India heads to the 18th general election, data over the years show voters’ trust in independent candidates has been diminishing, with more than 99 per cent of independent candidates losing their deposits since 1991.
Data compiled by the Election Commission of India show that since independence, even as the number of independent candidates has remained high, numbers of those winning polls have come down from over six per cent in 1951 and eight per cent in 1957, to around 0.11 per cent in 2019.
An independent candidate is one who is not aligned with any recognised party.
