2009 Indian general election: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|General election in India}}

| turnout = 58.21% ({{increase}}2.14pp)

| image_size = 150x150px

| image1 = Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in March 2014.jpg

| seats1 = 206

| popular_vote1 = <strong>119,111,019</strong>

| percentage1 = <strong>28.55%</strong>

| swing1 = {{increase}} 0.25pp

| image2 = Lkadvani.jpg

| map_image = [[File:Indische Parlamentswahlen 2009.svg|300px|lang=en]]

| after_party = Indian National Congress

| ongoing =

The [[United Progressive Alliance]] (UPA) led by the [[Indian National Congress]] formed the government after winning a majority of seats, with strong results in [[Andhra Pradesh]], Kerala, [[Maharashtra]], Rajasthan, [[Tamil Nadu]], Uttar Pradesh and [[West Bengal]]. [[Manmohan Singh]] became the first [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]] since [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] in [[1962 Indian general election|1962]] to be re-elected after completing a full five-year term.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/second-upa-wincrowning-glory-for-sonia%5Cs-ascendancy/61892/on|title=Second UPA win, a crowning glory for Sonia's ascendancy|date=16 May 2009|work=[[Business Standard]]|access-date=13 June 2009}}</ref> The UPA was able to put together a comfortable majority with support from 322 of the 543 elected members. External support was provided by the [[Bahujan Samaj Party]] (BSP), [[Samajwadi Party]] (SP), [[Janata Dal (Secular)]] (JD(S)), [[Rashtriya Janata Dal]] (RJD) and other minor parties.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/smooth-sailing-for-upa-parties-scramble-to-support/92967-37.html|title=Smooth sailing for UPA, parties scramble to support|date=19 May 2009|publisher=[[CNN-IBN]]|access-date=13 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090522121719/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/smooth-sailing-for-upa-parties-scramble-to-support/92967-37.html|archive-date=22 May 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Following the August 2008 confidence vote victory for the current government, a statement by Congress President [[Sonia Gandhi]] caused speculation that the UPA would project Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as the Prime Ministerial candidate in the next elections.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14740889|title=Manmohan PM candidate of the Congress: Sonia|date=15 August 2008|publisher=[[Sify.com]]|access-date=14 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212180357/http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14740889|archive-date=12 February 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> While [[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]] (DMK) leader [[M. Karunanidhi]] supported Manmohan Singh as the PM candidate, [[Nationalist Congress Party]] (NCP) chief [[Sharad Pawar]] tried to project himself as a possible Prime Ministerial candidate as well.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/still-running-pawar-wont-give-up-on-pm-race/83880-3.html|title=Still running: Pawar won't give up on PM race|date=28 January 2009|publisher=[[CNN-IBN]]|access-date=14 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212015631/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/still-running-pawar-wont-give-up-on-pm-race/83880-3.html|archive-date=12 February 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> On 24 January 2009, Manmohan Singh underwent a cardiac bypass surgery at the [[All India Institute of Medical Sciences]], New Delhi.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/prime-ministers-bypass-surgery-update/83552-3.html|title=Prime Minister's bypass surgery update|date=24 January 2009|publisher=[[CNN-IBN]]|access-date=14 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090318120910/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/prime-ministers-bypass-surgery-update/83552-3.html|archive-date=18 March 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> Following the surgery, speculation of alternate PM candidates arose both within the Congress and amongst coalition partners. In an attempt to quell such speculations, Sonia Gandhi on 6 February 2009, confirmed that Manmohan Singh would be the UPA's PM candidate by writing so in the Congress party magazine ''Sandesh''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/sonia-does-it-again-picks-manmohan-for-pm-job/84648-3.html|title=Sonia does it again, picks Manmohan for PM job|date=6 February 2009|publisher=[[CNN-IBN]]|access-date=14 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090308154122/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/sonia-does-it-again-picks-manmohan-for-pm-job/84648-3.html|archive-date=8 March 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> This was the first time in the history of Indian elections that the Congress party had declared its Prime Ministerial candidate prior to the elections.

The [[CPI(M)]] led the formation of the Third Front for the 2009 election. This front was basically a collection of regional political parties who were neither in UPA nor in the NDA. Most of the constituents of this Third Front were those who were part of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

The Congress campaign ran into trouble when the Election Commission took exception to a full page advertisement on the [[2010 Commonwealth Games]] taken out in major Delhi newspapers. The EC served notice to the [[Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports]], the [[Cabinet Secretary#India|Cabinet Secretary]] and the [[Chief Secretary (India)|Chief Secretary]] of Delhi, stating that the advertisement was a clear violation of the model code of conduct since it enumerated the achievements of the UPA Government. The EC has also asked the violators to pay from their own pockets.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/2009/03/08/stories/2009030855320800.htm |title=Election Commission pulls up Delhi, Centre over advertisement |access-date=6 February 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5iarWnJJV?url=http://www.hindu.com/2009/03/08/stories/2009030855320800.htm |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=2009-03-08 |archive-date=28 July 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/ec-miffed-over-2010-games-ad-promoting-upa/87134-37.html |title=EC miffed over 2010 Games ad promoting UPA |publisher=Ibnlive.in.com |date=8 March 2009 |access-date=6 February 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5iarXBVMi?url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/ec-miffed-over-2010-games-ad-promoting-upa/87134-37.html |archive-date=28 July 2009 }}</ref>

To counter the Congress' selection of "Jai Ho" as their official anthem, the BJP coined the phrase ''Kushal Neta,

The [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]] (CPI(M)) formed a [[Third Front (India)|Third Front]]. The Third Front tried to contest the election, hoping to create a non-BJP, non-Congress government, by attracting many local and regional parties, that were once with the other two alliances. The Third Front came into the alliance with 83 MPs, and various polling conducted before the election projected the alliance of getting over 100 seats. The CPI(M) created a campaign website hosting its campaign information to attract sympathisers among the [[netizen]] public to vote for the party.<ref>{{cite web |author=Ruhi Tewari |url=http://www.livemint.com/2009/03/17233826/Reds-go-online-for-votes-cash.html |title=Reds go online for votes, cash in on run-up to 'young' polls |publisher=Livemint |date=18 March 2009 |access-date=6 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427025231/http://www.livemint.com/2009/03/17233826/Reds-go-online-for-votes-cash.html |archive-date=27 April 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="cpim">{{cite web|url=http://vote.cpim.org/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090409213057/http://vote.cpim.org/ |archive-date=9 April 2009 |url-status=dead|title=Vote for CPI(M)|access-date=15 February 2014}}</ref>

| UPA 203 (Congress 155), NDA 191 (BJP 147), Third Front 104, Fourth Front 39<ref>{{cite web|url=http://election.rediff.com/report/2009/apr/11/loksabhapoll-upa-to-get-203-seats-nda-191-survey.htm|title=Star-Nielsen Poll 2: UPA to get 203 seats, NDA 191|date=11 April 2009|publisher=[[Rediff.com]]|access-date=17 April 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090414161124/http://election.rediff.com/report/2009/apr/11/loksabhapoll-upa-to-get-203-seats-nda-191-survey.htm|archive-date=14 April 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>

One of the positive stories emerging from this phase of election was from [[Kandhamal district]], where refugees of the [[Religious violence in Orissa#August 2008 violence|2008 Kandhamal riots]] came out in huge numbers to exercise their franchise. It is estimated that there was a turnout of 90% amongst Kandhamal refugees and 50% across the entire district. The administration had earlier identified large parts of the area as naxal affected and vulnerable. Hence, the administration had deployed extra security in the area and the ECI has arranged for special transport to shuttle the refugees from the refugee camps to the polling booths. Both of these actions helped achieve the high turnout.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/riothit-kandhamal-comes-out-to-vote-in-huge-numbers/90434-37.html|title=Riot-hit Kandhamal comes out to vote in huge numbers|date=27 April 2009|publisher=[[CNN-IBN]]|access-date=20 April 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090420135429/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/riothit-kandhamal-comes-out-to-vote-in-huge-numbers/90434-37.html|archive-date=20 April 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>'''

According to the EC, the election in Manipur in Phase 2A was peaceful and witnessed a voter turnout of about 62%.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200904221612.htm|title=62 per cent votes cast in Manipur|date=22 April 2009|work=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=29 April 2009|location=Chennai, India|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104083915/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200904221612.htm|archive-date=4 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Following the election, though, the [[Communist Party of India]] (CPI) and [[Manipur People's Party]] (MPP) have alleged vote rigging by Congress workers during the polls in Phase 2A. The MPP claimed that the Congress workers captured 11 booths in the Andro Assembly segment of Imphal East.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090427/jsp/northeast/story_10879491.jsp|title=Manipur rigging clamour rises|date=26 April 2009|work=[[The Telegraph (Calcutta)|The Telegraph]]|access-date=29 April 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526072011/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090427/jsp/northeast/story_10879491.jsp|archive-date=26 May 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

|party53=[[Pyramid Party of India]]|votes53=287576|seats53=0|sc53=

|131

|20

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{{Notelist|colwidth=30em}}

*Arora, Balveer & Tawa Lama-Rewal, Stéphanie (eds). [http://samaj.revues.org/index1092.html ''Contests in Context: Indian Elections 2009'']. ''South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal''. Issue 3, 2009.

[[Category:2009 in India]]

[[Category:April 2009 events in India]]

[[Category:May 2009 events in India]]