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In an election several candidates contested for a constituency. In any constituency, the winning candidate was the one who polled the highest number of votes, the first runner up was the one who polled the second highest number of votes, the second runner up was the one who polled the third highest number of votes, and so on. There were no ties (in terms of number of votes polled by the candidates) in any of the constituencies in this election.

In an electoral system, a security deposit is the sum of money that a candidate is required to pay to the election commission before he or she is permitted to contest. Only the defeated candidates (i.e., one who is not the winning candidate) who fail to secure more than one sixth of the valid votes polled in the constituency, lose their security deposits.

The following table provides some incomplete information about votes polled in four constituencies: A, B, C and D, in this election.

ConstituencyABCD
No. of candidates contesting101258
Total No. of valid votes polled5,00,0003,25,0006,00,030
No. of votes polled by the winning candidate2,75,00048,750
No. of votes polled by the first runner up95,00037,500
No. of votes polled by the second runner up30,000
% of valid votes polled by the third runner up10%

The following additional facts are known:

  1. The first runner up polled 10,000 more votes than the second runner up in constituency A.
  2. None of the candidates who contested in constituency C lost their security deposit. The difference in votes polled by any pair of candidates in this constituency was at least 10,000.
  3. The winning candidate in constituency D polled 5% of valid votes more than that of the first runner up. All the candidates who lost their security deposits while contesting for this constituency, put together, polled 35% of the valid votes.

What BEST can be concluded about the number of votes polled by the winning candidate in constituency C?

Solution

✅ Correct Option: 4
Slide 1/6

Understanding the set :-

  1. There is an election held at four constituency - A, B, C, D
  1. There is an half-filled table in the set which gives information about, number of candidates, valid votes, etc.
  1. Also, security deposit is the sum of money that a candidate is required to pay to the election commission before he or she is permitted to contest.
  1. A candidate is defeated if he/she was unable to secure even 1/6th of the votes polled.

(Defeating candidates are all the candidates who is not a winner - even first, second runner up are defeating candidates).

This is a table set,

In this set you are just required to fill the table given in the set, using clues given at the end.

ConstituencyABCD
No. of candidates contesting101258
Total No. of valid votes polled5,00,0003,25,0006,00,030
Votes polled by winning candidate2,75,00048,750
Votes polled by first runner-up95,00037,500
Votes polled by second runner-up85,00030,000
% votes polled by third runner-up10%
Total votes of remaining candidates45000

Clue 1 says,

The first runner up polled 10,000 more votes than the second runner up in constituency A.

=> Second runner up's votes polled = 95000−10000=8500095000 - 10000 = 85000

Nwo, we know total number of candidates in A = 10

Therefore, votes of remainng 7 = 500000−275000−95000−85000=45000500000 - 275000- 95000 - 85000 = 45000

ConstituencyABCD
No. of candidates contesting101258
Total No. of valid votes polled5,00,0003,25,0006,00,030
Votes polled by winning candidate2,75,00048,7501,40,006
Votes polled by first runner-up95,0001,30,00637,500
Votes polled by second runner-up85,0001,20,00630,000
% votes polled by third runner-up(1,10,006)10%
Total votes of remaining candidates450001,00,006

Clue 2 says,

None of the candidates who contested in constituency C lost their security deposit. The difference in votes polled by any pair of candidates in this constituency was at least 10,000.

Now, we know, defeated candidates (i.e., one who is not the winning candidate) who fail to secure more than one sixth of the valid votes polled in the constituency, lose their security deposits.

=> In constituency C all candidates have secured more than 1/6th of total valid votes.

=> 16×6,00,030=1,00,005\dfrac{1}{6}\times6,00,030 = 1,00,005

Also, we know, difference in votes polled by any pair of candidates in this constituency was at least 10,000.

If difference in votes is exactly 10000, then

4th runner up will have more then 1,00,005 let that be = 1,00,0061,00,006 votes

=> 3rd runner up = 1,00,006+10000=1,10,0061,00,006 + 10000 = 1,10,006

=> 2nd runner up = 1,10,006+10000=1,20,0061,10,006 + 10000 = 1,20,006

=> 1st runner up - 1,20,006+10000=1,30,0061,20,006 + 10000 = 1,30,006

and, Winner = 1,40,0061,40,006

Noe the total of all = 1,00,006+1,10,006+1,20,006+1,30,006+1,40,006=6,00,0301,00,006 + 1,10,006 + 1,20,006 + 1,30,006 + 1,40,006 = 6,00,030

which is equal to total number of votes polled in constituency C.

ConstituencyABCD
No. of candidates contesting101258
Total No. of valid votes polled5,00,0003,25,0006,00,030x
Votes polled by winning candidate2,75,00048,7501,40,00637,500 + 5x
Votes polled by first runner-up95,0001,30,00637,500
Votes polled by second runner-up85,0001,20,00630,000
% votes polled by third runner-up(1,10,006)10%
Total votes of remaining candidates450001,00,006

Clue 3 says,

The winning candidate in constituency D polled 5% of valid votes more than that of the first runner up.

Let the total valid votes be '100x'

Also, We know, votes polled by first runner up in constituency D is 37,50037,500

=> Winner candidates polled = 37,500+5x37,500 + 5x

ConstituencyABCD
No. of candidates contesting101258
Total No. of valid votes polled5,00,0003,25,0006,00,0301,75,000
Votes polled by winning candidate2,75,00048,7501,40,00672,500
Votes polled by first runner-up95,0001,30,00637,500
Votes polled by second runner-up85,0001,20,00630,000
% votes polled by third runner-up(1,10,006)10%
Total votes of remaining candidates450001,00,006

Continuing with clue 3,

All the candidates who lost their security deposits while contesting for this constituency, put together, polled 35% of the valid votes.

=> the candidates who got security deposit must have got 65% of votes.

We can make two cases:

Case I: Let top three candidates got the security deposit

=> 37500+5x+37500+30000=65x37500+5x+37500+30000 =65x

=> x=17501750

=> 100x=175000100x= 175000

Case II: Let top three candidates got the security deposit

=> 37500+5x+37500=65x37500+5x+37500 =65x

=> 60x=125060x = 1250

=> x=125000x = 125000

but 1/6th of of 125000 = 20834

=> 2nd runner up must got security deposit.

So, this case is not valid.

ConstituencyABCD
No. of candidates contesting101258
Total No. of valid votes polled5,00,0003,25,0006,00,0301,75,000
Votes polled by winning candidate2,75,00048,7501,40,00672,500
Votes polled by first runner-up95,0001,30,00637,500
Votes polled by second runner-up85,0001,20,00630,000
% votes polled by third runner-up(1,10,006)10%
Total votes of remaining candidates450001,00,006

Winnig candidate recieved 1,40,0061,40,006 votes

So ans is option 4

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