1951–52 Indian general election - Revision history

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	{{Indian elections}}		{{Indian elections}}

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	[[Category:1951 Indian general election\| ]]		[[Category:1951 Indian general election\| ]]
	[[category:1951 elections in Asia\|India]]		[[category:1951 elections in Asia\|India]]

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	\| majority_seats = 245		\| majority_seats = 245

	\| image1 = ~~[[File:~~Jnehru.jpg\|~~150x150px]]~~		\| image1 = {{CSS image crop\|Image =Jnehru.jpg\|bSize = 113\|cWidth = 113\|cHeight = 150\|oTop = 0\|oLeft = 0}}
	\| leader1 = [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]		\| leader1 = [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]
	\| party1 = Indian National Congress		\| party1 = Indian National Congress
	~~\| alliance1 =~~
	\| leaders_seat1 = [[Phulpur (Lok Sabha constituency)\|Phulpur]]		\| leaders_seat1 = [[Phulpur (Lok Sabha constituency)\|Phulpur]]
	\| seats1 = '''364'''		\| seats1 = '''364'''
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	\| percentage1 = '''44.99%'''		\| percentage1 = '''44.99%'''

	\| image2 =		\| image2 = <div style="width:115px;"><span style="line-height:150px; vertical-align:center; text-align:center; color:{{party color\|Communist Party of India}}; font-size:30px;"> '''CPI'''</span></div>
	\| leader2 = [[Ajoy Ghosh]]		\| leader2 = [[Ajoy Ghosh]]
	\| leaders_seat2 = Did not contest		\| leaders_seat2 = Did not contest
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	\| popular_vote2 = 3,487,401		\| popular_vote2 = 3,487,401
	\| percentage2 = 3.29%		\| percentage2 = 3.29%
	\| ~~swing2~~ =
			\| image4 = {{CSS image crop\|Image =Jawaharlal Nehru with Jayaprakash Narayan (cropped).jpg\|bSize = 130\|cWidth = 113\|cHeight = 150\|oTop = 0\|oLeft = 5}}
			\| leader4 = [[Jayaprakash Narayan]]
			\| leader4_seat3 =
			\| party4 = Socialist Party (India)
			\| seats4 = 12
			\| popular_vote4 = 11,216,719
			\| percentage4 = 10.59%

			\| image5 = {{CSS image crop\|Image =Acharya Kripalani 1989 stamp of India.jpg\|bSize = 113\|cWidth = 113\|cHeight = 150\|oTop = 0\|oLeft = 0}}
			\| leader5 = [[Jivatram Kripalani]]
			\| leaders_seat5 =
			\| party5 = Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party
			\| seats5 = 9
			\| popular_vote5 = 6,135,978
			\| percentage5 = 5.79%

	\| map = [[File:Wahlergebnisse in Indien 1951–1952.svg\|300px\|lang=en]]		\| map = [[File:Wahlergebnisse in Indien 1951–1952.svg\|300px\|lang=en]]

	\| title = [[Prime Minister of India\|Prime Minister]]		\| title = [[Prime Minister of India\|Prime Minister]]
	\| posttitle = ~~Subsequent~~ Prime Minister		\| posttitle = Prime Minister after election
	\| before_election = [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]		\| before_election = [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]
	\| before_party = Indian National Congress		\| before_party = Indian National Congress
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	}}		}}

	'''General elections''' were held in [[India]] between 25 October 1951 and 21 February 1952. They were the first elections to the [[Lok Sabha]] after independence in August 1947.<ref>{{cite web \|title=Lok Sabha Results 1951-52 \|publisher=Election Commission of India \|url=http://www.elections.in/parliamentary-constituencies/1951-election-results.html }}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|title=Statistical Report on Lok Sabha Elections 1951-52 \|publisher=Election Commission of India \|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/LS_1951/VOL_11_51_LS.PDF }}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|title=Lok Sabha Elections Stats Summary 1951-52 \|publisher=Election Commission of India \|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/SR_KeyHighLights/LS_1951/VOL_1_51_LS.PDF }}</ref> It was conducted under the provisions of the [[Indian Constitution]], which was adopted on 26 November 1949. Elections to most of the state legislatures took place simultaneously.		'''General elections''' were held in [[India]] between 25 October 1951 and 21 February 1952. They were the first elections to the [[Lok Sabha]] after independence in August 1947.<ref>{{cite web \|title=Lok Sabha Results 1951-52 \|publisher=Election Commission of India \|url=http://www.elections.in/parliamentary-constituencies/1951-election-results.html }}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|title=Statistical Report on Lok Sabha Elections 1951-52 \|publisher=Election Commission of India \|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/LS_1951/VOL_11_51_LS.PDF }}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|title=Lok Sabha Elections Stats Summary 1951-52 \|publisher=Election Commission of India \|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/SR_KeyHighLights/LS_1951/VOL_1_51_LS.PDF }}</ref> It was conducted under the provisions of the [[Indian Constitution]], which was adopted on 26 November 1949. Elections to most of the [[1951–52 elections in India#Legislative Assembly elections\|state legislatures took place]] simultaneously.

	A total of 1,949 candidates competed for 489 seats in the Lok Sabha. More than 173 million people out of an overall population of about 360 million were eligible to vote,<ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-has-nearly-83-crore-voters-brahma/article6805508.ece India has nearly 83 crore voters: Brahma]</ref> making it the largest election conducted at the time. Voter turnout was 45.7%.<ref>[[Dieter Nohlen]], Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) ''Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume I'', p. 572 {{ISBN\|0-19-924958-X}}</ref>		A total of 1,949 candidates competed for 489 seats in the Lok Sabha. More than 173 million people out of an overall population of about 360 million were eligible to vote,<ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-has-nearly-83-crore-voters-brahma/article6805508.ece India has nearly 83 crore voters: Brahma]</ref> making it the largest election conducted at the time. Voter turnout was 45.7%.<ref>[[Dieter Nohlen]], Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) ''Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume I'', p. 572 {{ISBN\|0-19-924958-X}}</ref>

>Rodw: Disambiguating links to Jammu and Kashmir (link changed to Jammu and Kashmir (state)) using DisamAssist.

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Disambiguating links to Jammu and Kashmir (link changed to Jammu and Kashmir (state)) using DisamAssist.

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{{Use Indian English|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1951 Indian general election
| country = India
| type = parliamentary
| previous_election = 1945 Indian general election
| previous_year = 1945
| next_election = 1957 Indian general election
| next_year = 1957
| election_date = {{nowrap|25 October 1951 – 21 February 1952}}
| seats_for_election = 489 of the 499 seats in the [[Lok Sabha]]
| majority_seats = 245

| image1 = [[File:Jnehru.jpg|150x150px]]
| leader1 = [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]
| party1 = Indian National Congress
| alliance1 =
| leaders_seat1 = [[Phulpur (Lok Sabha constituency)|Phulpur]]
| seats1 = '''364'''
| popular_vote1 = '''47,665,951'''
| percentage1 = '''44.99%'''

| image2 =
| leader2 = [[Ajoy Ghosh]]
| leaders_seat2 = Did not contest
| party2 = Communist Party of India
| seats2 = 16
| popular_vote2 = 3,487,401
| percentage2 = 3.29%
| swing2 =
| map = [[File:Wahlergebnisse in Indien 1951–1952.svg|300px|lang=en]]

| title = [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]]
| posttitle = Subsequent Prime Minister
| before_election = [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]
| before_party = Indian National Congress
| after_election = [[Jawaharlal Nehru]]
| after_party = Indian National Congress
| turnout = 45.70%
}}

'''General elections''' were held in [[India]] between 25 October 1951 and 21 February 1952. They were the first elections to the [[Lok Sabha]] after independence in August 1947.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lok Sabha Results 1951-52 |publisher=Election Commission of India |url=http://www.elections.in/parliamentary-constituencies/1951-election-results.html }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Statistical Report on Lok Sabha Elections 1951-52 |publisher=Election Commission of India |url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/LS_1951/VOL_11_51_LS.PDF }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Lok Sabha Elections Stats Summary 1951-52 |publisher=Election Commission of India |url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/SR_KeyHighLights/LS_1951/VOL_1_51_LS.PDF }}</ref> It was conducted under the provisions of the [[Indian Constitution]], which was adopted on 26 November 1949. Elections to most of the state legislatures took place simultaneously.

A total of 1,949 candidates competed for 489 seats in the Lok Sabha. More than 173 million people out of an overall population of about 360 million were eligible to vote,<ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-has-nearly-83-crore-voters-brahma/article6805508.ece India has nearly 83 crore voters: Brahma]</ref> making it the largest election conducted at the time. Voter turnout was 45.7%.<ref>[[Dieter Nohlen]], Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) ''Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume I'', p. 572 {{ISBN|0-19-924958-X}}</ref>

The [[Indian National Congress]] (INC) won a landslide victory, winning 364 of the 489 seats and 45% of the total votes polled. This was over four times as many votes as the second-largest party. [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] became the first democratically elected [[Prime minister of India|Prime Minister]] of the country.

== Background ==
India has a parliamentary system of government, where the Cabinet, headed by a Prime Minister, forms the de facto [[Executive (government)|executive]]. Unlike most countries, the elections are conducted by an independent [[Constitutional body (India)|constitutional body]], the [[Election Commission of India]]. [[Sukumar Sen (civil servant)|Sukumar Sen]] was the first [[Election Commissioner of India|election commissioner of India]].

After the adoption of the constitution on 26 November 1949, the Constituent Assembly continued to act as the interim parliament. The interim cabinet was headed by [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] and consisted of 15 members from diverse communities and parties. Various members of this cabinet resigned from their posts and formed their own parties to contest the elections.

A total of 173,212,343 voters were registered (excluding [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]]) out of a population of 361,088,090 according to the [[1951 Census of India]]. All Indian citizens over the age of 21 were eligible to vote.

Each candidate was allotted a differently-coloured ballot box at the polling booth, on which each 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.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pareek|first=Shabdita|date=2016-01-25|title=This Is How The First General Elections Were Held in Independent India|url=http://www.scoopwhoop.com/This-Is-How-The-First-General-Elections-Were-Held-In-Independent-India/|access-date=2018-12-21|website=ScoopWhoop}}</ref>

Due to the harsh climate and challenging logistics, the election was held in 68 phases.<ref>{{cite web|date=2014-04-28|title=Interesting Facts About India's First General Elections|url=http://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/interesting-facts-about-indias-first-general-elections-144418.html|access-date=2018-12-21|website=indiatimes.com}}</ref> A total of 196,084 polling booths were set up, of which 27,527 booths were reserved for women. All states except [[Himachal Pradesh]] and [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu & Kashmir]] voted in February–March 1952; no polls were held for Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir until 1967. Himachal Pradesh voted in 1951 for the first Lok Sabha; the weather there tends to be inclement in February and March, heavy snow impending free movement.<ref name="DH">[http://www.deccanherald.com/content/289003/indias-first-voter-himachal-pradesh.html India's first voter in Himachal Pradesh], by Gautam Dhmeer, in the ''[[Deccan Herald]]''; published 30 October 2012; retrieved 7 April 2014</ref> The first votes of the election were cast in the [[tehsil]] (district) of Chini in Himachal Pradesh.<ref name="Guha">{{cite book|author=Ramachandra Guha|title=India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy|year=2008|isbn=978-0-06-095858-9}}</ref>

Voters elected 489 members to the lower house of the [[Parliament of India]]. These were allotted across 401 constituencies in 25 Indian states. There were 314 constituencies electing one member using the [[First-past-the-post voting|first-past-the-post]] system. 86 constituencies elected two members, one from the general category and one from [[Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes|Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes]]. There was one constituency with three elected representatives.<ref>{{cite web|title=General Election of India 1951, List of Successful Candidate|url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/LS_1951/VOL_1_51_LS.PDF|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008191615/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/LS_1951/VOL_1_51_LS.PDF|archive-date=8 October 2014|access-date=12 January 2010|publisher=Election Commission of India|page=6}}</ref> These multi-seat constituencies were present to fulfill the reservations granted to backward sections of the society by the Constitution. They were later abolished in the 1960s.

The Constitution at this time also provided for two Anglo-Indian members to be nominated by the [[President of India]].

==Political parties==
A total of 53 parties and 533 independents contested the 489 seats in the election.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/general-elections-308073-2016-02-10 |title=First general elections in India: All you need to know |date=10 February 2016 |website=India Today |access-date=2018-12-21}}</ref> Two former cabinet colleagues of Nehru established separate political parties to challenge the INC's supremacy. While [[Syama Prasad Mukherjee]] went on to found the [[Jana Sangh]] in October 1951, first Law Minister [[B. R. Ambedkar]] revived the [[Scheduled Castes Federation]] (which was later named the [[Republican Party of India|Republican Party]]).

Other parties which started coming to the forefront included the [[Kisan Mazdoor Praja Parishad]], whose prime mover was [[Acharya Kripalani]]; the [[Socialist Party (India)|Socialist Party]], which had [[Ram Manohar Lohia]] and [[Jayaprakash Narayan]]'s leadership to boast of; and the [[Communist Party of India]]. However, these smaller parties were unable to make an electoral stand against the Indian National Congress.

==Results==
{{Election results
|image=[[File:Lok Sabha Zusammensetzung 1952.svg|300px]]
|party1=[[Indian National Congress]]|votes1=47665951|seats1=364
|party2=[[Socialist Party (India)|Socialist Party]]|votes2=11216719|seats2=12
|party3=[[Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party]]|votes3=6135978|seats3=9
|party4=[[Communist Party of India]]|votes4=3487401|seats4=16
|party5=[[Bharatiya Jana Sangh]]|votes5=3246361|seats5=3
|party6=[[Scheduled Castes Federation]]|votes6=2521695|seats6=2
|party7=[[Akhil Bharatiya Ram Rajya Parishad]]|votes7=2091898|seats7=3
|party8=[[Krishikar Lok Party]]|votes8=1489615|seats8=1
|party9=[[People's Democratic Front (Hyderabad)|People's Democratic Front]]|votes9=1367404|seats9=7
|party10=[[Shiromani Akali Dal]]|votes10=1047611|seats10=4
|party11=[[Hindu Mahasabha]]|votes11=1003034|seats11=4
|party12=[[Peasants and Workers Party of India]]|votes12=992187|seats12=2
|party13=[[All India Forward Bloc|Forward Bloc (Marxist)]]|votes13=963058|seats13=1
|party14=[[All India Ganatantra Parishad]]|votes14=959749|seats14=6
|party15=[[Tamil Nadu Toilers' Party]]|votes15=889292|seats15=4
|party16=[[Jharkhand Party]]|votes16=749702|seats16=3
|party17=[[Revolutionary Socialist Party (India)|Revolutionary Socialist Party]]|votes17=468108|seats17=3
|party18=[[Commonweal Party]]|votes18=325398|seats18=3
|party19=[[Lok Sewak Sangh]]|votes19=309940|seats19=2
|party20=Zamindar Party|votes20=291300|seats20=0
|party21=[[Chota Nagpur Santhal Parganas Janata Party]]|votes21=236094|seats21=1
|party22=[[Uttar Pradesh Praja Party]]|votes22=213656|seats22=0
|party23=S.K. Paksha|votes23=137343|seats23=0
|party24=[[All India Forward Bloc (Ruikar)]]|votes24=133936|seats24=0
|party25=[[Kamgar Kisan Paksha]]|votes25=132574|seats25=0
|party26=Tribal Sangha|votes26=116629|seats26=0
|party27=[[Travancore Tamil Nadu Congress Party]]|votes27=115893|seats27=1
|party28=[[Kerala Socialist Party]]|votes28=102098|seats28=0
|party29=[[Indian Union Muslim League]]|votes29=79470|seats29=1
|party30=[[Revolutionary Communist Party of India]]|votes30=67275|seats30=0
|party31=[[Justice Party (India)|Justice Party]]|votes31=63254|seats31=0
|party32=[[All India United Kisan Sabha]]|votes32=60254|seats32=0
|party33=All India Republican Party (RPP)|votes33=57815|seats33=0
|party34=All India Republican Party (REP)|votes34=44286|seats34=0
|party35=[[All People's Party (Assam)|All People's Party]]|votes35=36851|seats35=0
|party36=Tamil Nadu Congress Party|votes36=36158|seats36=0
|party37=Khasi-Jaintia Durbar|votes37=32987|seats37=0
|party38=[[Saurashtra Khedut Sangh]]|votes38=29766|seats38=0
|party39=[[Bolshevik Party of India]]|votes39=25792|seats39=0
|party40=All Manipur National Union|votes40=22083|seats40=0
|party41=[[Uttar Pradesh Revolutionary Socialist Party]]|votes41=20665|seats41=0
|party42=Hill People Party|votes42=17350|seats42=0
|party43=[[Krishak Sramik Party|Praja Party]]|votes43=16955|seats43=0
|party44=Kuki National Association|votes44=12155|seats44=0
|party45=Punjab Depressed Class League|votes45=11789|seats45=0
|party46=[[Pursharathi Panchayat]]|votes46=10778|seats46=0
|party47=[[Cochin Party]]|votes47=8947|seats47=0
|party48=[[Kisan Mazdoor Mandal]]|votes48=8808|seats48=0
|party49=[[Hyderabad State Praja Party]]|votes49=7646|seats49=0
|party50=Gandhi Sebak Seva|votes50=7196|seats50=0
|party51=Kisan Janta Sanyukta Party|votes51=6390|seats51=0
|party52=National Party of India|votes52=3232|seats52=0
|party53=Historical Research|votes53=1468|seats53=0
|party54=Independents|votes54=16850089|seats54=37
|row55=Appointed members{{efn|Six representing [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], two representing [[Anglo-Indians]], one representing Part B tribal areas in [[Assam]] and one representing the [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]].}}|seats55=10
|electorate=173212343
|turnout=44.87
|source=[https://eci.gov.in/files/file/4111-general-election-1951-vol-i-ii/?do=download&r=9734&confirm=1&t=1&csrfKey=6df04992cf2c2fe96a9487465b425663 ECI]
}}{{notelist}}

==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) [http://zeenews.india.com/news/general-elections-2014/election-anecdote-when-br-ambedkar-lost-in-first-lok-sabha-polls_929706.html (reserved seat)] 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.<ref name=Guha/>{{rp|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 [[Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party|KMPP]] candidate, but his wife [[Sucheta Kripalani]] defeated the Congress candidate [[Manmohini Sahgal]] in Delhi.<ref>{{cite book |author=David Gilmartin |editor=Anastasia Pivliavsky |title=Patronage as Politics in South Asia |chapter=Chapter 5: The paradox of patronage and the people's sovereignty |pages=151–152 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-107-05608-4}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Election Commission of India]]
*[[1952 Indian presidential election]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

{{Indian elections}}

[[Category:1951 Indian general election| ]]
[[category:1951 elections in Asia|India]]