• Meet man, who lost 19 elections, now files nomination for 20th time in Lok Sabha polls 2024

    National
    Meet man, who lost 19 elections, now files nomination for 20th time in Lok Sabha polls 2024
    The 63-year-old real estate tycoon filed his nomination as an independent candidate, saying he is confident he will win one day and that polling-point defeats won't discourage him. 


    Digital Desk: Parmanand Tolani, known locally as "Indori Dhartipakad" because of his enthusiasm for running for office despite always losing his deposit, submitted his nomination on Thursday for the Indore Lok Sabha constituency. 

    The 63-year-old real estate tycoon filed his nomination as an independent candidate, saying he is confident he will win one day and that polling-point defeats won't discourage him. 

    The fourth phase of polling in the Indore constituency is scheduled for May 13. 

    “I am going to contest elections for the 20th time. In the last 35 years, I have lost my deposit 19 times in different elections,” Tolani told reporters.

    Election Commission regulations mandate that any candidate running in a parliamentary or assembly election deposit a specified sum as security. The current amount for general candidates is Rs 25,000, while Rs 12,500 is required for SC/ST candidates. 

    According to the regulations, those who did not obtain at least one-sixth of the total legitimate votes cast would forfeit their deposits. 

    The seasoned political contender stated that in addition to running eight times in both the Lok Sabha and assembly elections, he has also attempted to win three municipal elections for mayor. 

    He said that when the mayor's position was only open to female candidates, he had previously entered his wife Laxmi Tolani in the civic polls.

    "Every time I lose my deposit in an election, it doesn't affect me. I have complete faith in the Indore voters. If not now, they will undoubtedly guarantee my victory tomorrow," he said. 

    Tolani claims that he has continued the family history of contesting election. He stated that his father, Metharam Tolani, had been a city printing press operator for thirty years and had been a consistent candidate in elections. 

    According to Tolani, he began contesting elections in 1989 following the death of his father in 1988. 

    Tolani has contested as an independent candidate in the 2019 general elections, garnering 1,233 votes from the Indore seat. Shankar Lalwani of the BJP was declared the winner with 10.6 lakh votes.