NEW DELHI, Feb 4: Nominations closed for 540 of the 543 elective Lok Sabha seats, with the process coming to an end today in 209 constituencies spread over 13 states and union territories.Although the total number of nominations was still being computed by the Election Commission, reports from states indicated that the number of those contesting the election has shrunk to about one-third this time due to the steep increase in the security deposit which kept away non-serious candidates.
The tally of contestants for the first phase of the elections due on February 16 available with the Commission shows that the number of contestants has fallen to around 32 per cent of the 1996 figures.
About 330 constituencies go to the polls in the first phase where a total of 3,184 contestants are in the fray. In the 1996 polls the corresponding number of contestants for the same 330 constituencies were 9,993. The average number of candidates per constituency has also dropped sharply from 30.28 to 9.64 perconstituency.
The Commission's decision to increase the security deposit for independent candidates to Rs 10,000 and to increase the number of proposers and seconders has drawn a lot of criticism.
But Deputy Election Commissioner Subas Pani today said the Commission's position had been vindicated by the decline in the number of contestants.
``The management of the polls will be better, with smaller sized ballot papers and fewer ballot boxes,'' Pani said.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
