A total of 98 candidates forfeited their deposits in the AMC elections with 20 from the BJP and 78 from Congress unable to cross the minimum vote threshold set by election rules.
Under the rules, a candidate must secure votes equal to the total valid votes in the ward divided by the number of seats, divided further by four. Falling short means losing deposit.
Where BJP lost deposits
The BJP's 20 deposit losses were concentrated in five wards where Congress won decisively in Jamalpur, Behrampura, Gomtipur, Maktampura and Danilimda, with four BJP candidates losing their deposits in each.
Where Cong lost deposit
Congress fared far worse, losing deposits across 23 wards, nearly half the total. Fourteen were in western Ahmedabad, traditionally BJP territory, and nine in the east. Wards where Congress candidates lost deposits include Thaltej, Paldi, Vastral, Naroda, Thakkarbapanagar, Jodhpur, Vejalpur, Bodakdev, Navrangpura, Naranpura, Ghatlodia, Nikol, Chandlodia, Gota and Ranip, among others. Most AAP and AIMIM candidates also lost their deposits. Only three AIMIM candidates from Gomtipur and Maktampura, and a couple of AAP candidates, managed to retain theirs.
NOTA tells its own story
Across 48 wards, voters chose NOTA 31,183 times. Thaltej recorded the highest NOTA count at 970, while Dariyapur saw the lowest at 340. Other notable NOTA tallies include Vastral (953), Ranip (919) and Isanpur (894).