2009 Indian general election: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|General election in India}}

{{EngvarB|date=May 2019}}

| seats_for_election = 543 of the 545 seats in the [[Lok Sabha]]

| majority_seats = 272

| image_size = 150x150px

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

| leader1 = [[Manmohan Singh]]

| alliance1 = United Progressive Alliance

| leader_since1 = 22 May 2004

| seats1 = 206

| seat_change1 = {{increase}} 61

| swing1 = {{increase}} 0.25pp

| image2 = Lkadvani.jpg

| leader2 = [[Lal Krishna Advani]]

| percentage2 = 18.80%

| swing2 = {{decrease}} 3.36pp

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

| map_caption = Results of the National and Regional parties by alliances.

| title = [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]]

| before_election = [[Manmohan Singh]]

| before_party = Indian National Congress

| after_election = [[Manmohan Singh]]

| after_party = Indian National Congress

}}{{Politics of India}}

By constitutional requirement, elections to the Lok Sabha must be held every five years or when Parliament is dissolved by the [[President of India|president]]. The [[2004 Indian general election|previous elections]] were held in May 2004 and the term of the [[14th Lok Sabha]] would have naturally expired on 1 June 2009. Elections are organised by the [[Election Commission of India]] (ECI) and are normally held in multiple phases to better handle the large electorate and security concerns.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.samaylive.com/news/indian-election-statistics-astonish-british-mps/632142.html|title=Indian election statistics astonish British MPs|date=4 June 2009|publisher=samaylive.com|access-date=13 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090609073003/http://www.samaylive.com/news/indian-election-statistics-astonish-british-mps/632142.html|archive-date=9 June 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> The 2009 elections were held in five phases. In February 2009, [[Indian rupee|Rs.]]11.20&nbsp;billion ([[Dollar|$]]200.5&nbsp;million) was budgeted for election expenses by parliament.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4138129.cms|title=Rs 1120 crore allocated for Lok Sabha polls|date=16 February 2009|work=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=13 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090219165944/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4138129.cms|archive-date=19 February 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Polling stations===

There were 828,804 [[Polling Station]]s around the country – a 20% increase over the number from the 2004 election. This was done mainly to avoid vulnerability to threat and intimidation, to overcome geographical barriers and to reduce the distance travelled by voters.<ref name="eci-press-release" />

===Phase 5 – 13 May 2009===

The fifth and final phase of the 2009 election was held on Wednesday, 13 May with voting across seven states and two union territories for 86 constituencies. Overall the turnout was 62%. Numerous cases of voter omissions were reported in Tamil Nadu which had 39 seats up for grab. In Jammu & Kashmir, two polling stations could not be reached by the polling officials due to extreme snow which prevented their helicopters from landing at the site. The polling officials were forced to trek through deep snow to reach the polling stations and polls took place 2&nbsp;days later on 15 May in these two stations.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/roundup-overall-60-pc-polling-in-phase-v/92539-37-single.html|title=Roundup: Overall 60 pc polling in phase V|date=13 May 2009|publisher=[[CNN-IBN]]|access-date=19 May 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090517091345/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/roundup-overall-60-pc-polling-in-phase-v/92539-37-single.html|archive-date=17 May 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> A few cases of violence were also reported in this phase. One DMK official was stabbed to death in Tamil Nadu in a clash between the political parties and another person was killed in West Bengal in clashes between Trinamool Congress and CPI(M) party workers.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/world/violence-at-indian-election-sees-two-dead-410631.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707171337/http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/world/violence-at-indian-election-sees-two-dead-410631.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 July 2012|title=Violence at Indian election sees two dead|date=13 May 2009|publisher=Ireland OnLine|access-date=20 May 2009}}</ref>

==State/UT-wise voter turnout details==

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%;"

==Results==

{{Election results

|source=[https://eci.gov.in/files/category/98-general-election-2009/ ECI]

}}

===By states and territories===

==Analysis==

{{Clear}}

{{Main|15th Lok Sabha}}

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; width:300px;"

! Party/Alliance

! Seats won

|}

===Government formation===

On 21 May, it was announced that the [[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]] (DMK) had decided to leave and give outside support to the UPA government, due to failed talks between the Congress and the DMK on cabinet positions.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8062158.stm| publisher=BBC| title=DMK leaves UPA, gives outside support| date=21 May 2009| access-date=21 May 2009| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090525113219/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8062158.stm| archive-date=25 May 2009| url-status=live}}</ref> After many deliberations between DMK and Congress, the DMK agreed to 3 cabinet ministers and 4 ministers of state. [[Kanimozhi]], daughter of the DMK leader [[M. Karunanidhi]], decided not to join the new government cabinet, instead she wanted to focus on improving the parties image. The two incumbent cabinet ministers from DMK, [[Dayanidhi Maran]] and [[A. Raja]] joined the cabinet, but due to concerns raised by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on [[T.R. Baalu]], he was dropped from the cabinet, and Karunanidhi's son [[M.K. Azhagiri]], replaced him as part of a compromise.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/dmk-wooed-likely-to-join-govt-on-tuesday/93249-37.html |title=DMK wooed, likely to join govt on Tuesday – Politics – IBNLive |publisher=Ibnlive.in.com |date=24 May 2009 |access-date=14 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001115928/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/dmk-wooed-likely-to-join-govt-on-tuesday/93249-37.html |archive-date=1 October 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/kanimozhi-opts-out-of-cabinet-race-dmk-likely-to-join-upa-by-monday_100196443.html |title=Kanimozhi opts out of Cabinet race, DMK likely to join UPA by Monday – Thaindian News |publisher=Thaindian.com |date=24 May 2009 |access-date=14 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407004121/http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/kanimozhi-opts-out-of-cabinet-race-dmk-likely-to-join-upa-by-monday_100196443.html |archive-date=7 April 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> On 25 May 2009, DMK decided to join the UPA government, reversing the decision made in prior days to extend outside support.