A deposit is a sum of money that
a candidate must pay in return for the right to
stand for election to certain political offices,
particularly seats in legislatures. In the Republic
of India, candidates for election to the lower
house of the parliament- Lok Sabha must pay a
security deposit of Rs.10,000. For state assembly
elections the amount is Rs.5,000. For Scheduled
castes and scheduled tribes candidates the
amounts are Rs.5,000 and Rs.2,500 respectively.
A defeated candidate wills forfelt his deposit if
he polis less than one-sixth of the total valid
votes cast in a First-past-the-post voting system.