The present invention is directed to a discharge lamp drive device and a liquid crystal display device, capable of keeping a tube current balance among discharge lamps to thereby prolong life durations of the discharge lamps. A drive circuit 311 outputs an AC voltage. Ballast circuits 312, 322 include “n” pieces of ballast capacitors C11 through C1n and C21 through C2n, respectively. The ballast capacitors C11 through C1n and C21 through C2n have one ends commonly connected to one another and directed to drive circuits 311 respectively, and other ends individually connected to discharge lamp connection terminals, respectively. Connected in parallel to at least two of ballast capacitors C11, C21, and C1n, C2n, are tube current compensation capacitors Cb3 and Cb1 thereby increasing capacitances of the ballast capacitors, respectively.