Congress candidates lost their security deposits on all but three seats in the Delhi Assembly polls as nearly 80 per cent of all contenders, including those contesting independently, forfeited their deposits. All the candidates of the AAP, BJP and its allies, Janata Dal (United) and LJP (Ram Vilas) managed to save their security deposits after the election results were declared on Saturday.

Out of the 699 candidates in the fray, 555 (79.39 per cent) candidates forfeited their deposits in the February 5 polls. It was a sorry state of affairs for the Congress that not only drew a blank in terms of seats for a third time in a row, but 67 of its candidates also lost their security deposits. The Congress, which ruled Delhi for three consecutive terms till 2013, had fielded candidates in all 70 constituencies.

Only three Congress candidates — Abhishek Dutt from Kasturba Nagar, the only leader from the party to finish second, Rohit Choudhary from Nangloi Jat and Devendra Yadav from Badli — managed to save their security deposits. Shifa-ur-Rehman Khan of AIMIM, which contested two seats, also managed to save his security deposit in Okhla.

According to the Representation of the People Act, 1951, any candidate from the general category contesting an election is required to deposit Rs 10,000 with the Election Commission as a security deposit. For candidates from Scheduled Castes and Tribes, the amount required to be deposited is Rs 5,000.

According to electoral law, the deposit will have to be forfeited if the candidate is not elected and the number of valid votes polled by him or her does not exceed one-sixth of the total number of valid votes polled by all the candidates.

The BJP returned to power in Delhi after more than 26 years, winning 48 of the 70 assembly seats while the AAP won 22 seats.