AAP washed out in Karnataka polls, deposits forfeited on all seats contested

New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday forfeited deposit in all 29 seats after it failed to make a dent in the Karnataka Assembly Election results 2018. 

"We were washed out but I cannot understand why. We got a lot of support but that could not be converted into votes," said Prithvi Reddy, AAP's Karnataka convenor.

Reddy, who took on Congress heavyweight KJ George from the Sarvagnanagar Assembly constituency, got just 1,861 votes, managing a distant second.

Renuka Vishwanathan contesting from Shantinagar was reportedly the only AAP candidate who managed to get more votes than NOTA (None Of The Above). 

On Tuesday, Karnataka voters delivered a hung Assembly, with no party reaching the majority mark. The BJP emerged as the single largest party, winning 104 seats out of the 222 Karnataka Assembly constituencies. The Congress took the second spot with 78 seats while JDS bagged 37 seats to end a distant third.

Political drama ensued in the evening with Congress and JDS joining hands and claiming a stake on the government that left BJP fuming. The state governor will be meeting BJP's CM candidate Yeddyurapa later on Wednesday. Meanwhile, threatened by the possibility of horse trading, JDS and Congress are reportedly taking steps to ensure the BJP doesn't poach their legislators.

Yogendra Yadav-led Swaraj India also contested from 11 seats in the state. Its Darshan Puttannaiah polled 73,779 votes from Melukote seat, coming second. 

"Swaraj India had contested 11 assembly seats in the Karnataka assembly elections 2018. Our candidates have polled a total of 79,400 votes. This is a creditable beginning, better than other new entrants. While we did not win any seat, our candidate and general secretary Darshan Puttannaiah finished second fighting against the money and power of the JD(S) which is a truly encouraging beginning," Swaraj India said in a statement.

The party secured 0.2 per cent of the total vote share. 

In 2017, the AAP made attempts to spread itself outside Delhi, where it had scored a stunning victory in 2015 by bagging 67 out of 70 assembly seats.

But barring Punjab, where it emerged as the main opposition party, its performance was disappointing. It drew a blank in Goa and later in Gujarat Assembly polls, where all its 29 candidates lost their deposits. 

Candidates in Assembly elections lose deposit if they secure less than one sixth of the valid votes polled in the constituency. 
In 2018, the AAP also failed to open an account in Nagaland and Mizoram.

With PTI inputs