1951–52 Indian general election

1951–52 Indian general election

← 194525 October 1951 – 21 February 19521957 →

489 of the 499 seats in the Lok Sabha[a]
245 seats needed for a majority
Registered173,212,343
 First partySecond party
 
Jnehru.jpg
CPI
LeaderJawaharlal NehruAjoy Ghosh
PartyINCCPI
Seats won36416
Popular vote47,665,9513,487,401
Percentage44.99%3.29%

 Third partyFourth party
 
Acharya Narendra Deva.jpg
KMPP
LeaderNarendra DevaJ. B. Kripalani
PartyPSPKMPP
Seats won129
Popular vote11,216,7196,135,978
Percentage10.59%5.79%


Prime Minister before election

Jawaharlal Nehru
INC

Prime Minister after election

Jawaharlal Nehru
INC

General elections were held in India between 25 October 1951 and 21 February 1952, the first national elections after India attained independence in 1947.[1][2][3] Voters elected the 489 members of the first Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India. Elections to most of the state legislatures were held simultaneously.[4]

The elections were conducted under the provisions of the constitution adopted on 26 November 1949. After the adoption of the constitution, the Constituent Assembly continued to act as the interim parliament, while an interim cabinet was headed by Jawaharlal Nehru. An Election Commission was created in 1949 and in March 1950 Sukumar Sen was appointed as the first Chief Election Commissioner. A month later parliament passed the Representation of the People Act which set out how the elections for parliament and state legislatures would be conducted.[5] The 489 seats of the Lok Sabha were allotted across 401 constituencies in 25 states. There were 314 constituencies electing one member using the first-past-the-post system. 86 constituencies elected two members, one from the general category and one from Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes. There was one constituency with three elected representatives.[6] The multi-seat constituencies were created as reserved seats for backward sections of society, and were abolished in the 1960s. The constitution at this time also provided for two Anglo-Indian members to be nominated by the President of India.

A total of 1,949 candidates competed for 489 seats in the Lok Sabha. Each candidate was allotted a different coloured ballot box at the polling booth, on which the candidate's name and symbol were written. 16,500 clerks were appointed on a contract of six months to type and collate the electorate rolls and 380,000 reams of paper were used for printing the rolls.[7] A total of 173,212,343 voters were registered (excluding Jammu and Kashmir) out of a population of 361,088,090 according to the 1951 census, making it the largest election conducted at the time. All Indian citizens over the age of 21 were eligible to vote.

Due to the harsh climate and challenging logistics, the election was held in 68 phases.[8] A total of 196,084 polling booths were set up, of which 27,527 booths were reserved for women. The majority of voting took place in early 1952, but Himachal Pradesh voted in 1951 as its weather was commonly inclement in February and March, with heavy snow impending free movement.[9] The remainder of states voted in February–March 1952, except for Jammu & Kashmir, where no voting took place for Lok Sabha seats until 1967. The first votes of the election were cast in the tehsil (district) of Chini in Himachal Pradesh.[10]

The result was a landslide victory for the Indian National Congress (INC), which received 45% of the vote and won 364 of the 489 seats. The second-placed Socialist Party received only 11% of the vote and won twelve seats. Jawaharlal Nehru became the first democratically elected Prime Minister of the country.

Contesting parties

A total of 53 parties and 533 independents contested the 489 seats.[11]

Several ministers resigned from their posts and formed their own parties to contest the elections. Syama Prasad Mukherjee established the Jana Sangh in October 1951 and Law Minister B. R. Ambedkar revived the Scheduled Castes Federation (which was later named the Republican Party). Congress party president Purushottam Das Tandon resigned from his post because of differences with Nehru.[12][13]

Other parties which started coming to the forefront included the Kisan Mazdoor Praja Parishad, whose prime mover was Acharya Kripalani; the Socialist Party led by Ram Manohar Lohia and Jayaprakash Narayan; and the Communist Party of India. However, these smaller parties were unable to make an electoral stand against the Indian National Congress.

Results

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress47,665,95144.99364
Socialist Party11,216,71910.5912
Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party6,135,9785.799
Communist Party of India3,487,4013.2916
Bharatiya Jana Sangh3,246,3613.063
Scheduled Castes Federation2,521,6952.382
Akhil Bharatiya Ram Rajya Parishad2,091,8981.973
Krishikar Lok Party1,489,6151.411
People's Democratic Front1,367,4041.297
Shiromani Akali Dal1,047,6110.994
Hindu Mahasabha1,003,0340.954
Peasants and Workers Party of India992,1870.942
Forward Bloc (Marxist)963,0580.911
All India Ganatantra Parishad959,7490.916
Tamil Nadu Toilers' Party889,2920.844
Jharkhand Party749,7020.713
Revolutionary Socialist Party468,1080.443
Commonweal Party325,3980.313
Lok Sewak Sangh309,9400.292
Zamindar Party291,3000.270
Chota Nagpur Santhal Parganas Janata Party236,0940.221
Uttar Pradesh Praja Party213,6560.200
S.K. Paksha137,3430.130
All India Forward Bloc (Ruikar)133,9360.130
Kamgar Kisan Paksha132,5740.130
Tribal Sangha116,6290.110
Travancore Tamil Nadu Congress115,8930.111
Kerala Socialist Party102,0980.100
Indian Union Muslim League79,4700.081
Revolutionary Communist Party of India67,2750.060
Justice Party63,2540.060
All India United Kisan Sabha60,2540.060
All India Republican Party (RPP)57,8150.050
All India Republican Party (REP)44,2860.040
All People's Party36,8510.030
Tamil Nadu Congress Party36,1580.030
Khasi-Jaintia Durbar32,9870.030
Saurashtra Khedut Sangh29,7660.030
Bolshevik Party of India25,7920.020
All Manipur National Union22,0830.020
Uttar Pradesh Revolutionary Socialist Party20,6650.020
Hill People Party17,3500.020
Praja Party16,9550.020
Kuki National Association12,1550.010
Punjab Depressed Class League11,7890.010
Pursharathi Panchayat10,7780.010
Cochin Party8,9470.010
Kisan Mazdoor Mandal8,8080.010
Hyderabad State Praja Party7,6460.010
Gandhi Sebak Seva7,1960.010
Kisan Janta Sanyukta Party6,3900.010
National Party of India3,2320.000
Historical Research1,4680.000
Independents16,850,08915.9037
Appointed members[b]10
Total105,950,083100.00499
Registered voters/turnout173,212,343
Source: ECI
  1. ^ Ten members were appointed, including six representing Jammu and Kashmir, two representing Anglo-Indians, one representing Part B tribal areas in Assam and one representing the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
  2. ^ Six representing Jammu and Kashmir, two representing Anglo-Indians, one representing Part B tribal areas in Assam and one representing the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Results by state

StateTotal
seats
Seats won
INCCPISPIKMPPPDFGPBJSRRPSCFKLPOthersInd.App.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands11
Assam131111
Ajmer22
Bhopal22
Bihar5545361
Bilaspur11
Bombay4540113
Coorg11
Delhi431
Himachal Pradesh33
Hyderabad251417111
Jammu and Kashmir66
Kutch22
Madhya Bharat1192
Madhya Pradesh29272
Madras7535826915
Manipur211
Mysore11101
Orissa20111161
PEPSU5221
Punjab18162
Rajasthan2091316
Saurashtra66
Travancore–Cochin12624
Tripura22
Uttar Pradesh8681212
Vindhya Pradesh6411
West Bengal3421523
Anglo-Indians22
Total49936416129763321293710
Source: ECI

Assam

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress1,210,70745.7411
Socialist Party506,94319.151
Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party265,68710.040
Independents363,67013.740
Other parties300,12011.340
Total2,647,127100.0012

Bihar

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress4,573,05845.7745
Socialist Party2,126,06621.283
Jharkhand Party749,7027.503
Lok Sewak Sangh309,9403.102
Chota Nagpur Santhal Parganas Janata Party236,0942.361
Independents1,306,66013.081
Other parties690,9316.910
Total9,992,451100.0055

Bombay

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress5,781,27750.1540
Independents1,380,48411.973
Peasants and Workers Party of India807,0197.001
Scheduled Caste Federation511,0284.431
Socialist Party1,682,49414.590
Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party639,7885.550
Other parties726,2006.300
Total11,528,290100.0045

Madhya Pradesh

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress3,713,53751.6327
Independents858,40711.932
Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party451,7496.280
Akhil Bharatiya Ram Rajya Parishad396,6615.510
Socialist Party877,39212.200
Other parties894,84512.440
Total7,192,591100.0029

Madras

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress7,253,45236.3935
Independents4,614,21023.1515
Communist Party of India1,783,4078.958
Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party1,952,1979.796
Tamil Nadu Toilers' Party889,2924.464
Commonweal Party325,3981.633
Socialist Party1,055,4235.292
Forward Bloc (Marxist Group)332,1961.671
Indian Union Muslim League79,4700.401
Other parties1,649,1168.270
Total19,934,161100.0075

Orissa

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress1,555,78742.5111
All India Ganatantra Parishad959,74926.236
Socialist Party563,46215.401
Communist Party of India211,3035.771
Independents316,5388.651
Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party52,6541.440
Total3,659,493100.0020

Punjab

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress2,134,58642.7616
Shiromani Akali Dal569,97311.422
Zamindar Party291,3005.830
Bharatiya Jana Sangh279,6395.600
Communist Party of India251,6235.040
Independents930,38318.640
Other parties534,83410.710
Total4,992,338100.0018

Uttar Pradesh

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress9,047,39252.9981
Socialist Party2,208,67812.942
Independents1,936,38311.342
Hindu Mahasabha325,6011.911
Bharatiya Jana Sangh1,244,0997.290
Other parties2,312,82213.550
Total17,074,975100.0086

West Bengal

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress3,205,16242.1024
Communist Party of India720,3049.465
Bharatiya Jana Sangh452,2795.942
Revolutionary Socialist Party183,0052.402
Hindu Mahasabha324,8704.271
Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party679,1498.920
Independents1,405,74718.460
Other parties643,4178.450
Total7,613,933100.0034

Hyderabad

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress1,945,79840.0814
People's Democratic Front1,367,40428.177
Socialist Party651,31613.421
Scheduled Caste Federation308,5916.361
Peasants and Workers Party of India185,1683.811
Independents388,9398.011
Hyderabad State Praja Party7,6460.160
Total4,854,862100.0025

Madhya Bharat

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress992,15950.799
Hindu Mahasabha122,2136.262
Akhil Bharatiya Ram Rajya Parishad278,47514.250
Socialist Party268,39913.740
Bharatiya Jana Sangh188,5699.650
Other parties103,7565.310
Total1,953,571100.0011

Mysore

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress1,509,07553.4310
Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party650,65823.041
Socialist Party181,4306.420
Independents292,47210.360
Other parties190,7926.760
Total2,824,427100.0011

Patiala and East Punjab States Union

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress492,40833.382
Shiromani Akali Dal477,63832.382
Independents311,63521.131
Other parties193,43113.110
Total1,475,112100.005

Rajasthan

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress1,460,97141.429
Independents1,028,38829.166
Akhil Bharatiya Ram Rajya Parishad331,7609.413
Krishikar Lok Party356,63010.111
Bharatiya Jana Sangh107,0893.041
Other parties242,1196.860
Total3,526,957100.0020

Saurashtra

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress506,11266.366
Hindu Mahasabha99,31113.020
Independents58,3437.650
Other parties98,93912.970
Total762,705100.006

Travancore Cochin

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress1,224,53335.086
Independents1,265,05136.244
Travancore Tamil Nadu Congress115,8933.321
Socialist Party459,66913.170
Revolutionary Socialist Party220,3126.310
Other parties205,0185.870
Total3,490,476100.0011

Ajmer

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress89,76150.152
Bharatiya Jana Sangh28,99016.200
Communist Party of India25,12814.040
Akhil Bharatiya Ram Rajya Parishad13,6247.610
Pursharathi Panchayat10,7786.020
Independents10,7185.990
Total178,999100.002

Bhopal

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress97,29257.412
Hindu Mahasabha34,71220.480
Kisan Mazdoor Mandal8,8085.200
Socialist Party3,3291.960
Independents25,31614.94
Total169,457100.002

Bislaspur

PartySeats
Independents1
Total1

Bilaspur constituency was uncontested

Coorg

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress38,06359.651
Independents25,75040.350
Total63,813100.001

Delhi

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress324,21449.433
Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party47,7357.281
Bharatiya Jana Sangh169,99725.920
Independents83,04512.660
Other parties30,9094.710
Total655,900100.004

Himachal Pradesh

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress117,03652.443
Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party27,36812.260
Bharatiya Jana Sangh23,91810.720
Scheduled Caste Federation18,9888.510
Socialist Party16,7807.520
Independents19,0998.560
Total223,189100.003

Kutch

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress78,77165.872
Socialist Party5,9855.010
Independents34,82429.120
Total119,580100.002

Manipur

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress36,31723.821
Socialist Party29,37219.261
All Manipur National Union22,08314.480
Praja Party16,95511.120
Communist Party of India13,1848.650
Kuki National Association12,1557.970
Independents13,7379.010
Other parties8,6645.680
Total152,467100.002

Tripura

PartyVotes%Seats
Communist Party of India96,45861.292
Indian National Congress40,26325.580
Bharatiya Jana Sangh9,6636.140
Independents10,9876.980
Total157,371100.002

Vindhya Pradesh

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress238,22033.754
Socialist Party125,48017.781
Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party106,07115.031
Bharatiya Jana Sangh89,70112.710
Independents94,91113.450
Other parties51,4557.290
Total705,838100.006

Government formation

The speaker of the first Lok Sabha was Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar. The first Lok Sabha also witnessed 677 sittings (3,784 hours), the highest recorded count of the number of sitting hours. The Lok Sabha lasted its full term from 17 April 1952 until 4 April 1957.

Notable losses

First Law Minister B. R. Ambedkar was defeated in the Bombay (North Central)[14] constituency as Scheduled Castes Federation candidate by his little-known former assistant and Congress Candidate Narayan Sadoba Kajrolkar, who polled 1,38,137 votes compared to Ambedkar's 1,23,576 votes.[10]: 156  Ambedkar then entered the parliament as a Rajya Sabha member. He contested a by-poll from Bhandara in 1954 in another attempt to enter the Lok Sabha, but again lost to Borkar of Congress.

Acharya Kripalani lost from Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh as a KMPP candidate, but his wife Sucheta Kripalani defeated the Congress candidate Manmohini Sahgal in Delhi.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ "How India pulled off its first general election". The Indian Express. 12 April 2024. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Lok Sabha polls 2024 to have longest voting period since first general elections". The Times of India. 16 March 2024. Archived from the original on 17 March 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Voting Period Of 2024 Lok Sabha Polls Longest Since First General Elections". Archived from the original on 17 March 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Elections that shaped India | The first general elections: a free country in full bloom". The Hindu. 28 March 2024. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  5. ^ Guha, Ramachandra (2022). India after Gandhi: the history of the world's largest democracy (10th anniversary edition, updated and expanded, first published in hardcover ed.). New Delhi: Picador India. ISBN 978-93-82616-97-9.
  6. ^ "General Election of India 1951, List of Successful Candidate" (PDF). Election Commission of India. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
  7. ^ Pareek, Shabdita (25 January 2016). "This Is How The First General Elections Were Held in Independent India". ScoopWhoop. Archived from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  8. ^ "Interesting Facts About India's First General Elections". indiatimes.com. 28 April 2014. Archived from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  9. ^ India's first voter in Himachal Pradesh Archived 6 July 2017 at the Wayback Machine, by Gautam Dhmeer, in the Deccan Herald; published 30 October 2012; retrieved 7 April 2014
  10. ^ a b Ramachandra Guha (2008). India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy. Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0-06-095858-9.
  11. ^ "First general elections in India: All you need to know". India Today. 10 February 2016. Archived from the original on 21 July 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  12. ^ Weiner, Myron (8 December 2015). Party Politics in India. Princeton University Press. pp. 78–79. ISBN 978-1-4008-7841-3. Archived from the original on 30 March 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  13. ^ Varshney, Ashutosh. 28 March 2015. "Faults and lines Archived 16 December 2018 at the Wayback Machine." The Indian Express. Retrieved on 16 June 2020.
  14. ^ "(reserved seat)". 4 May 2014. Archived from the original on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  15. ^ David Gilmartin (2014). "Chapter 5: The paradox of patronage and the people's sovereignty". In Anastasia Pivliavsky (ed.). Patronage as Politics in South Asia. Cambridge University Press. pp. 151–152. ISBN 978-1-107-05608-4.

Further reading

  • Guha, Ramachandra. "Democracy's Biggest Gamble", World Policy Journal, (Spring 2002) 19#1 pp. 95–103
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