1991 Indian general election

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1991 Indian general election
Flag of India.svg
  1989 20 May, 12 June and 15 June 1991 [1]
19 February 1992 (Punjab)
1996  

537 of the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha
269 seats needed for a majority
Registered498,363,801
Turnout56.73% (Decrease2.svg 5.22pp)
 First partySecond party
 
P. V. Narasimha Rao.JPG
Lal Krishna Advani 2009.jpg
Leader P. V. Narasimha Rao L. K. Advani
Party INC(I) BJP
Last election39.53%, 197 seats11.36%, 85 seats
Seats won244120
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 47Increase2.svg 35
Popular vote101,285,69255,843,074
Percentage36.26%20.11%
SwingDecrease2.svg 3.27pp Increase2.svg 8.75pp

 Third partyFourth party
 
V. P. Singh (cropped).jpg
E. M. S. Namboodiripad.jpg
Leader V. P. Singh E. M. S. Namboodiripad
Party JD CPI(M)
Alliance NF NF
Last election17.79%, 143 seats6.55%, 33 seats
Seats won5935
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 84Increase2.svg 2
Popular vote32,628,40016,954,797
Percentage11.84%6.16%
SwingDecrease2.svg 5.95pp Decrease2.svg 0.39 pp

Wahlergebnisse Indien 1991.svg
Results by constituency

Prime Minister before election

Chandra Shekhar
SJP

Prime Minister after election

P. V. Narasimha Rao
INC(I)

General elections were held in India on 20 May, 12 June and 15 June 1991 to elect the members of the 10th Lok Sabha, although they were delayed until 19 February 1992 in Punjab.

Contents

No party could muster a majority in the Lok Sabha, resulting in the Indian National Congress (Indira) forming a minority government under new Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao with the support of other parties. The government survived 28 July 1993 no confidence vote in controversial circumstances by bribing MPs from the Janata Dal and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. [2] [3]

Elections were not held for the six seats allocated to Jammu and Kashmir, nor for two seats in Bihar and one in Uttar Pradesh. Voter turnout was 57%, the lowest to date in an Indian general election. [4]

Background

In the previous elections held 16 months before, the Janata Dal came into power with outside support of the Bharatiya Janata Party, however the BJP withdrew it's support from the government after its Ram Rathyatra was stopped at Samastipur in Bihar, a state ruled by the Janata Dal, whose Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav had the BJP president Lal Krishna Advani arrested on spot. Following the resignation of V. P. Singh, the main opposition party, the Indian National Congress (Indira) provided outside support to a small breakaway faction of the Janata Dal, the Samajwadi Janata Party headed by Chandra Shekhar for a time, but soon withdrew its support. Over 500 million eligible voters were once again given the chance to elect their government. [5] The elections were held in a polarised environment and are also referred to as the 'Mandal-Mandir' elections after the two most important poll issues, the Mandal Commission fallout and the Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid issue.

Mandal-Mandir Issue

While the Mandal Commission report released by the VP Singh government suggested giving 27 per cent reservation to the Other Backward Castes (OBCs) in government jobs, it led to widespread violence and protests across the country with many students from the Forward Caste groups in and around the capital city of Delhi even setting themselves on fire in opposition to increase in reservations. Violence also erupted between Scheduled Caste groups, who opposed increasing reservation for other communities & OBC groups, who supported reservation for their own community. 'Mandir' represented the hallmark of this election, where there was a debate over construction of Ram Mandir at the disputed site of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya which the Hindu right wing Bharatiya Janata Party was using as its major election manifesto. To counter the intense religious polarisation unleashed due to the Ram mandir movement, the ruling Janata Dal heavily campaigned on implementing the Mandal Commission report, which the BJP alleged was a ploy to undermine Hindu unity.

The Mandir-Mandal issue led to numerous riots in many parts of the country and the electorate was polarised on caste and religious lines. With the Janata Dal beginning to fall apart into different splinter groups each supporting a particular caste in a specific state, the Congress (I) managed to make the most of the polarisation, by getting the most seats and forming a minority government. [6]

Rajiv Gandhi assassination

A day after the first round of polling took place on 20 May, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated while campaigning for Margatham Chandrasekar in Sriperembudur. The remaining election days were postponed until mid-June and voting finally took place on 12 and 15 June.

Since the assassination took place after first phase of polling in 211 of 534 constituencies and the balance constituencies went to polls after the assassination, the 1991 results varied greatly between phases. [7] Congress (I) was almost wiped out in the first phase, and rode a massive sympathy wave of public grief to sweep the second phase. [5] The end result was a Congress (I)-led minority government supported by the Janata Dal led by P. V. Narasimha Rao, who had previously announced his retirement from politics. While Rao had not contested in the election, he contested in a by-election in Nandyal which he won by a record five lakh votes.

Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab

76 to 126 people were shot dead during campaign on 17 June 1991 in two attacks by gunmen in Punjab, an area racked by separatist violence. Police reports said the killings, on separate trains, were carried out by Sikh militants. [8] No elections were held in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, a total of 19 Lok Sabha seats. [9] Elections were held in Punjab on 19 February 1992, [10] where INC won 12 out of 13 seats, [11] thereby taking their tally in the Lok Sabha up from 232 to 244.

Results

Lok Sabha Zusammensetzung 1991.svg
PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress (Indira) 99,799,40336.26232
Bharatiya Janata Party 55,345,07520.11120
Janata Dal 32,589,18011.8459
Communist Party of India (Marxist) 16,954,7976.1635
Janata Party 9,267,0963.375
Telugu Desam Party 8,223,2712.9913
Communist Party of India 6,851,1142.4914
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 5,741,9102.090
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 4,470,5421.6211
Bahujan Samaj Party 4,420,7191.612
Shiv Sena 2,208,7120.804
Revolutionary Socialist Party 1,749,7300.644
Asom Gana Parishad 1,489,8980.541
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha 1,481,9000.546
Janata Dal (Gujarat) 1,399,7020.511
Pattali Makkal Katchi 1,283,0650.470
All India Forward Bloc 1,145,0150.423
Indian Congress (Socialist) – Sarat Chandra Sinha 982,9540.361
Indian Union Muslim League 845,4180.312
Indian Peoples Front 644,8910.230
Natun Asom Gana Parishad 494,6280.180
Karnataka Rajya Ryota Sangha490,2750.180
Doordarshi Party 466,8690.170
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen 456,9000.171
Kerala Congress (M) 384,2550.141
Jharkhand Party 350,6990.130
Haryana Vikas Party 331,7940.121
Nagaland People's Council 328,0150.121
Bharatiya Republican Paksha327,9410.120
Kerala Congress 319,9330.120
Peasants and Workers Party of India 295,4020.110
United Minorities Front, Assam 206,7370.080
Lokdal 173,8840.060
Marxist Co-ordination Committee 171,7670.060
United Reservation Movement Council of Assam170,3760.060
Manipur Peoples Party 169,6920.061
Autonomous State Demand Committee 139,7850.051
Sanjukta Loka Parishad125,7380.050
Sikkim Sangram Parishad 106,2470.041
Republican Party of India (Khobragade) 91,5570.030
Shiromani Akali Dal (Simaranjit Singh Mann) 88,0840.030
Plain Tribals Council of Assam 87,3870.030
Mizo National Front 82,0190.030
Sarv Jati Janata Parishad70,3680.030
Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha 67,4950.020
Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party 64,7520.020
Tharasu Makkal Mandram55,1650.020
Uttarakhand Kranti Dal 47,3690.020
Marxist Communist Party of India (S.S. Srivastava) 43,0850.020
Bharatiya Krishi Udyog Sangh42,5040.020
Jan Parishad37,7250.010
Republican Party of India 36,5410.010
Amra Bangali 35,1860.010
Indian Union Muslim League (IML)31,3870.010
Sampooran Kranti Das29,6470.010
Akhil Bharatiya Manav Seva Das28,5280.010
Uttar Pradesh Republican Party28,3790.010
Yuva Vikas Party28,1590.010
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) 27,7300.010
Jawan Kisan Mazdoor Party23,9290.010
Proutist Bloc of India22,7340.010
Soshit Samaj Dal19,9250.010
Akhil Bharatiya Jansangh19,2430.010
Orissa Vikas Parishad15,8930.010
Hul Jharkhand Party 15,4060.010
Socialist Party of India (Lohia)12,9280.000
Akhil Bharatiya Hindustani Krantikari Samajwadi Party12,8200.000
Dalit Panthers Party11,9670.000
Bharatiya Loktantrik Mazdoor Dal10,8370.000
Akhil Bharatiya Revolutionary Samaj Dal8,8250.000
Akhil Bhartiya Shivsena-Rashtrawadi8,8100.000
Asom Jatiyatabadi Dal8,5190.000
Ambedkar Makkal Iyakkam 8,2520.000
Asom Jatiya Parishad8,0470.000
Socialist Party (Ramakant Pandey)7,1040.000
Akhil Bharatiya Pichhadavarg Party6,8970.000
All India Dalit Muslim Minorities Suraksha Mahasangh5,8880.000
Vidarbha Praja Party5,5970.000
Akhil Bharatiya Gram Parishad5,5210.000
Akhil Bhartiya Dharmnirpeksh Dal5,4360.000
Hindu Swaraj Sangathan5,3250.000
Republican Presidium Party of India4,9670.000
Surajya Party4,7050.000
Sarvodaya Party4,6420.000
Janata Dal (Samajwadi)4,5480.000
Deseeya Karshaka Party4,5080.000
Gondwana Party3,6050.000
Azad Hind Fauz (Rajkiya)3,5430.000
Samdarshi Party2,9210.000
Lok Party2,8730.000
Socialist League of India2,8520.000
All India Urdu Morcha2,6550.000
Akhil Bhartiya Ramrajya Parishad (Vasudev Shastri Atul)2,5190.000
All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha2,3110.000
Pondicherry Mannila Makkal Munnani2,2590.000
Pandav Dal2,2130.000
Internationalist Democratic Party 2,0780.000
Gomant Lok Party1,9830.000
Akhil Bharatiya Desh Bhakt Morcha1,7920.000
Workers Party of India 1,7810.000
Nationalist Party 1,7680.000
Marx Engles Leninist Commune Health Association1,6920.000
Nagaland Peoples Party1,5720.000
Adarsh Lok Dal1,5440.000
Desh Bhakt Party1,5210.000
Akhil Bharatiya Bharat Desham Party1,4660.000
Republican Party of India (Kamble) 1,3000.000
Akhil Bharatiya Janhit Jagrati Party1,2450.000
Mukt Bharat1,1910.000
Rashtriya Krantikari Dal1,1250.000
Sampooran Rashtriya Sena1,0400.000
Gramma Munnetra Kazhagam1,0300.000
Navbharat Party7870.000
Labour Party of India (V.V. Prasad)6840.000
Thayaga Marumalrchi Kazhagam6650.000
Poorvanchal Rashtriya Congress6050.000
Jammu-Kashmir Panthers Party5870.000
Kannada Paksha5760.000
Akhil Bharatiya Mahila Dal5730.000
Socialist Revolutionary Party5710.000
Lokhit Morcha5320.000
Republican Party of India (Athawale) 5210.000
Labour Party (Ashok Bhattacharjee)4340.000
Akhil Bharatiya Loktantra Party4080.000
Cheluva Kannad Nadu3830.000
Azad Party3720.000
Democratic Party of India3590.000
Bharatiya Backward Party3290.000
Hindu Shiv Sena (A.K. Brahmbatt)3250.000
Rashtriya Unnatsheel Das3160.000
Akhil Bharatiya Gram Parishad3140.000
Akhil Bharatiya Loktantric Alpsankhyak Janmorcha2570.000
Sr. Citizens National Party of India2500.000
Socialist Labour League2460.000
M.G.R. Munnetra Kazhagam2280.000
Mahabharat People's Party2250.000
Janata Congress Party of Bharatvarsha1940.000
Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Shakti Dal1930.000
Akhil Bharatiya Socialist Party1660.000
Kannada Desh Party1640.000
Bharatiya Dhruba Labour Party1420.000
Jai Mahakali Nigrani Samiti1380.000
Bhartiya Sangthit Nagrik Party1200.000
Vishal Bharat Party560.000
Jan Ekata Morcha340.000
Independents11,441,6884.161
Nominated Anglo-Indians 2
Total275,206,990100.00523
Valid votes275,206,99097.35
Invalid/blank votes7,493,9522.65
Total votes282,700,942100.00
Registered voters/turnout498,363,80156.73
Source: ECI

Delayed elections in Punjab

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress (Indira) 1,486,28949.2712
Bahujan Samaj Party 594,62819.711
Bharatiya Janata Party 497,99916.510
Communist Party of India (Marxist) 119,9023.980
Shiromani Akali Dal (Simaranjit Singh Mann) 77,9702.580
Communist Party of India 47,2261.570
Janata Dal 39,2201.300
Janata Party 27,9660.930
Lokdal 2,8390.090
Bharatiya Krishi Udyog Sangh1,3490.040
Independents121,0094.010
Total3,016,397100.0013
Valid votes3,016,39795.59
Invalid/blank votes139,1264.41
Total votes3,155,523100.00
Registered voters/turnout13,169,79723.96
Source: ECI

Aftermath

Congress(I) was in a position to form government. The persons, mentioned in media, as probable Prime Minister, were: [12]

At the suggestion of Rajiv's widow Sonia, P. V. Narasimha Rao was chosen as the prime-ministerial candidate of Congress (Indira). Rao, who got himself by-elected from Nandyal, secured the outside support of the Janata Dal & Jharkhand Mukti Morcha under controversial circumstances. After Lal Bahadur Shastri, Rao was the second Congress Prime Minister from outside the Nehru-Gandhi family and the second Congress Prime Minister to head a minority government that completed full 5-year term (Indira Gandhi also headed a minority government from 1969 to 1971 following the 1969 split of the Congress party into Congress(O) & Congress(R)). [14]

See also

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