1945 Indian general election

2021-08-01T11:57:57Z

182.77.75.27: /* Background */

{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1945 Indian general election
| country = British India
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1934 Indian general election
| previous_year = 1934
| next_election =
| next_year = [[1951–52 Indian general election|1951 (India)]] →<br />{{nowrap|[[1970 Pakistani general election|1970 (Pakistan)]]}}
| election_date = 1945
| seats_for_election = 102 seats contested

| image1 = [[File:Sarat Chandra Bose.jpg|150x150px]]
| leader1 = [[Sarat Chandra Bose]]
| party1 = Indian National Congress
| alliance1 =
| leaders_seat1 =
| seats1 = 59
| seat_change1 =
| popular_vote1 =
| percentage1 =
| swing1 = 
| image2 = [[File:Jinnah crop.jpg|150x150px]]
| leader2 = [[Muhammad Ali Jinnah]]
| leaders_seat2 =
| party2 = All-India Muslim League
| alliance2 =
| seats2 = 30
| seat_change2 =
| popular_vote2 =
| percentage2 =
| swing2 =
| title = government
| posttitle = Subsequent administration
| after_election = [[Interim Government of India]]
| after_party = Coalition government
| map = [[File:Indian General Election 1945.svg|300px]]
| majority_seats = 52
}}
{{Politics of India}}

'''General elections''' were held in [[British Raj|British India]] in December 1945 to elect members of the [[Central Legislative Assembly]] and the [[Council of State (India)|Council of State]].<ref name="Vohra">{{cite book|last=Vohra|first=Ranbir|title=The Making of India: A Political History|page=176|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3oXLluy2m_MC&pg=PA177}}</ref> The [[Indian National Congress]] emerged as the largest party, winning 59 of the 102 elected seats.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/schwartzberg/fullscreen.html?object=110|title=-- Schwartzberg Atlas -- Digital South Asia Library|website=dsal.uchicago.edu}}</ref> The [[All-India Muslim League|Muslim League]] won all Muslim constituencies, but failed to win any other seats. Of the 13 remaining seats, 8 went to Europeans, 3 to independents, and 2 to Akali candidates in the Sikh constituencies of [[Punjab, British India|Punjab]].<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/schwartzberg/pager.html?object=260&view=text|title=-- Schwartzberg Atlas -- Digital South Asia Library|website=dsal.uchicago.edu}}</ref> This election coupled with the provincial one in 1946 proved to be a [[strategic]] victory for Jinnah and the partitionists. Even though Congress won, the League had united the Muslim vote and as such it gained the negotiating power to seek a separate Muslim homeland as it became clear that a united India would prove highly unstable. The elected members later formed the [[Constituent Assembly of India]].

These were the last general elections in British India; consequent elections were held in [[1951 Indian general election|1951]] in India and [[1970 Pakistani general election|1970]] in Pakistan.

==Background==
On 19 September 1945, the Viceroy [[Lord Wavell]] announced that elections to the central and provincial legislatures would be held in December 1945 to January 1946. It was also announced that an executive council would be formed and a constitution-making body would be convened after these elections.<ref name="Vohra"/><ref>{{cite book|last=Sen|first=S. N.|title=History of the Freedom Movement in India (1857-1947)|page=317|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hssXP1hBYscC&pg=PA318}}</ref>

Although the [[Government of India Act 1935]] had proposed an all-India federation, it could not take place because the government held that the [[Princely state]]s were unwilling to join it. Consequently, rather than choosing 375 members, only 102 elective seats were to be filled. Hence the elections to the central legislature were held under the terms of the [[Government of India Act 1935]].

==Results==
===Central Legislative Assembly===
{{Election results
|party1=[[Indian National Congress]]|seats1=57
|party2=[[All-India Muslim League|Muslim League]]|seats2=30
|party3=[[Akali Dal]]|seats3=2
|party4=Europeans|seats4=8
|party5=Independents|seats5=5
|source=[https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/schwartzberg/fullscreen.html?object=110 Schwartzberg Atlas]
}}

===Membership by province===
{| class=wikitable style=text-align:right
!Province
!Europeans
!Independent
!Minor parties
!Congress<br /> (General)
!Congress<br /> (Non-General)
!Muslim League
!Total
|-
|align=left|[[Assam]]|| ||? || ||?|| ||1?
|4
|-
|align=left|[[Ajmer-Merwara]]|| || || ||1 || || ||1
|-
|align=left|[[Bengal]]||3 ||? || ||?|| ||5?
|17
|-
|align=left|[[Bihar and Orissa]]|| ||? || ||?|| || ||12
|-
|align=left|[[Bombay]]|| 2 || ? || || ? || ||2?
|16
|-
|align=left|[[Central Provinces]]|| || ? || || ? || ? ||1?
|6
|-
|align=left|[[Delhi]]|| || || || 1 || || ||1
|-
|align=left|[[1934 Madras Presidency legislative council election|Madras]]|| 1 || ? || || ? || ? ||3?
|16
|-
|align=left|[[North-West Frontier Province (1901–1955)|North West Frontier Province]]|| || || || || 1<ref>History Modern India, S. N. Sen {{ISBN|8122417744}}</ref> || 0||1
|-
|align=left|[[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]]|| || ? || 2 ([[Akali Dal]]) || ? || ||6<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mujahid |first1=Sharif al |title=1945-46 Elections and Pakistan: Punjab’s Pivotal Role |journal=Pakistan Vision |date=2010 |volume=11 |issue=1 |url=http://pu.edu.pk/images/journal/studies/PDF-FILES/Artical%20No-1.pdf |publisher=Pakistan Study Centre |issn=1681-5742}}</ref> ||12
|-
|align=left|[[Sind Province (1936–55)|Sind]]|| || ? || || || || ||3?
|-
|align=left|[[United Provinces of British India|United Provinces]]|| 1 || ? || 0 || ? || ? ||4?
|16
|-
|align=left|'''Total'''|| '''8''' || '''3''' || '''2''' || '''49'''<ref name="auto"/> || '''10''' ||30 ||'''102?'''
|}

==Elected members==
{{see|Constituent_Assembly_of_India#Members (by province/state)}}

==See also==
* [[Interim Government of India]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Bangladeshi elections}}
{{Indian elections}}
{{Pakistani elections}}

[[Category:1945 elections in India]]
[[Category:1945 elections in Asia]]
[[Category:General elections in Bangladesh|1945]]
[[Category:General elections in India|1945]]
[[Category:General elections in Pakistan|1945]]
[[Category:Central Legislative Assembly of India]]
[[Category:December 1945 events]]
[[Category:1945 elections in the British Empire]]

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1945 Indian general election