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Huge decrease in number of candidates in Madhya Pradesh

The number of candidates in the electoral fray in Madhya Pradesh has shown a drastic decline compared to previous elections, thanks to the massive hike in security deposit.

The decline in the number of candidates filing their nominations is more than two-thirds, according to the state election office.

As many as 647 nominations have been filed this time, compared to the 2,116 nominations filed for the 1996 Lok Sabha election.

The increase in the security deposit has inhibited 'non-serious' candidates in filing their nominations. Earlier, the security deposit for candidates belonging to the general category was Rs 500 and Rs 250 for candidates belonging to the reserved category. The amount has now been increased to Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 respectively.

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