Kerala Legislative Assembly election, 1957

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Kerala Legislative Assembly election, 1957
Flag of India.svg
28 February – 11 March 1957 1960  →
All 126 seats in the Kerala Legislative Assembly
64 seats needed for a majority
Turnout 65.49%

 First partySecond partyThird party
  E. M. S. Namboodiripad.jpg
Leader E. M. S. Namboodiripad
Party CPI INC Praja Socialist Party
Leader's seat Nileshwaram
Seats won60439
Popular vote20,59,54722,09,2516,28,261
Percentage35.28%37.85%10.76%
Chief Minister before election

Position established

 Chief Minister

E. M. S. Namboodiripad
Communist Party of India

The Kerala Legislative Assembly election of 1957 was the first assembly election in the Indian state of Kerala. The Communist Party of India won the election with 60 seats. The election led to the formation of first democratically elected communist government in India [1] and second in the world after San Marino. [2]

Kerala State in southern India

Kerala, locally known as Keralam, is a state on the southwestern, Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions. Spread over 38,863 km2 (15,005 sq mi), Kerala is the twenty-second largest Indian state by area. It is bordered by Karnataka to the north and northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east and south, and the Lakshadweep Sea and Arabian Sea to the west. With 33,387,677 inhabitants as per the 2011 Census, Kerala is the thirteenth-largest Indian state by population. It is divided into 14 districts with the capital being Thiruvananthapuram. Malayalam is the most widely spoken language and is also the official language of the state.

Communist Party of India Indian political party, established 1925

The Communist Party of India (CPI) is the oldest communist party in India. There are different views on exactly when it was founded. The date maintained as the foundation day by the CPI is 26 December 1925. The Communist Party of India (Marxist), which separated from the CPI in 1964 following an ideological rift between China and the Soviet Union, continues to claim having been founded in 1925.

San Marino Republic on the Appenine peninsula

San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, also known as the Most Serene Republic of San Marino, is an enclaved microstate surrounded by Italy, situated on the Italian Peninsula on the northeastern side of the Apennine Mountains. Its size is just over 61 km2 (24 sq mi), with a population of 33,562. Its capital is the City of San Marino and its largest settlement is Dogana in the municipality of Serravalle. San Marino has the smallest population of all the members of the Council of Europe. With Italian being the official language, along with strong financial and ethno-cultural connections, San Marino maintains close ties to its much larger neighbour; it is located close to the riviera of Rimini, one of Italy's main coastal resort areas.

Contents

State Reorganization

On 1 November 1956, under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, Kerala was formed by the merger of Travancore-Cochin state with the Malabar district (including Fort Cochin and the Laccadive Islands) of Madras State, Kasaragod taluk of the South Canara district and the Amindive Islands. The southern part of Travancore-Cochin, the five taluks of Agastheeswaram, Thovala, Kalkulam, Vilavahcode and Shencotta, were transferred from Travancore-Cochin to the Madras State. [3] After the reorganization, the assembly constituencies increased from 106 with 117 seats in 1954 to 114 with 126 seats in 1957.

States Reorganisation Act, 1956 Indian act of reformation pertaining to the boundaries of states and territories

The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 was a major reform of the boundaries of India's states and territories, organising them along linguistic lines.

Travancore-Cochin state of India from 1949 until 1956

Travancore-Cochin or Thiru-Kochi was a short-lived state of India (1949–1956). It was originally called United State of Travancore and Cochin and was created on 1 July 1949 by the merger of two former Princely States, the kingdoms of Travancore and Cochin with Trivandrum as the capital. It was renamed State of Travancore-Cochin in January 1950.

Kasaragod Town in Kerala, India

Kasaragod([kɑːsɾɡoːɖ]) is a municipal town and the district headquarters of Kasaragod district of Kerala state in India. Situated in the rich biodiversity of Western Ghats, it is known for the Chandragiri and Bekal Forts, Chandragiri River, historic Kolathiri Rajas, natural environment of Ranipuram and Kottancheri Hills, historical and religious sites like the Madiyan Kulom temple, Madhur Temple, Ananthapuram Lake Temple and Malik Deenar Mosque. It is located 585 km north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram, 360 km west of Bengaluru and 50 km south of the port city of Mangalore.

Background

Following the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, the Malabar District of Madras state merged with Travancore-Cochin to form the new state of Kerala on 1 November 1956. The merger helped the Communist Party of India to increase their base in the region. [4] The ruling Indian National Congress lost the prominence due to the factionalism within the party. [5] Furthermore, communalism and struggles against feudalism played a major role. [4] [6]

Malabar District

Malabar District was an administrative district of Madras Presidency in British India and independent India's Madras State. The British district included the present-day districts of Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, Palakkad, and Chavakad Taluk of Thrissur District in the northern and central parts of Kerala state. The district lay between the Arabian Sea on the west, South Canara District on the north, the Western Ghats to the east, and the princely state of Cochin to the south. The district covered an area of 15,009 square kilometres (5,795 sq mi), and extended 233 km (145 mi) along the coast and 40–120 kilometers inland. The name Mala-bar means the "hillside slopes". Kozhikode was the capital of Malabar.

Indian National Congress Major political party in India

The Indian National Congress(pronunciation ) is a broadly based political party in India. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Empire in Asia and Africa. From the late 19th century, and especially after 1920, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, Congress became the principal leader of the Indian independence movement. Congress led India to independence from Great Britain, and powerfully influenced other anti-colonial nationalist movements in the British Empire.

Communalism is a term used in South Asia to denote attempts to construct religious or ethnic identity, incite strife between people identified as different communities, and to stimulate communal violence between those groups. It derives from history, differences in beliefs, and tensions between the communities.

Election

The Election Commission of India conducted elections to the newly created state between 28 February – 11 March 1957. [7] The elections were held to the 126 seats (114 constituencies) including 12 two member constituencies of which 11 and one reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes respectively, in which 406 candidates were contested. The voter turnout was 65.49%. [8]

Election Commission of India election regulatory body of India

The Election Commission of India is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering election processes in India. The body administers elections to the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and state Legislative Assemblies and Legislative Council in India, and the offices of the President and Vice President in the country. The Election Commission operates under the authority of Constitution per Article 324, and subsequently enacted Representation of the People Act. The commission has the powers under the Constitution, to act in an appropriate manner when the enacted laws make insufficient provisions to deal with a given situation in the conduct of an election. Being a constitutional authority, Election Commission is amongst the few institutions which function with both autonomy and freedom, along with the country’s higher judiciary, the Union Public Service Commission and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

In India, a certain number of political positions and university posts are held for specific groups of the population, including Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes, Anglo-Indians and Women.

Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes official designations given to various groups indigenous people in India

The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of historically disadvantaged people in India. The terms are recognised in the Constitution of India and the groups are designated in one or other of the categories. For much of the period of British rule in the Indian subcontinent, they were known as the Depressed Classes. The people in scheduled castes are essentially the lowest part of Hindu society.

Results

The result of the elections listed below:

e  •  d  Summary of results of the Kerala Legislative Assembly election, 1957 [9]
Political partyFlagSeats
Contested		Won% of
Seats		VotesVote %Vote % in
contested seats
Indian National Congress Flag of the Indian National Congress.svg 1244334.1322,09,25137.8538.1
Communist Party of India CPI-banner.svg 1016047.6220,59,54735.2840.57
Praja Socialist Party 6597.146,28,26110.7617.48
Revolutionary Socialist Party 280751,96512.8822.81
Independent 861411.117,51,96512.88N/A
Total seats126Voters89,13,247Turnout58,37,577 (65.49 %)

In the election, five women candidates were elected out of nine candidates. [8] [10]

Government formation

Communist Party of India formed the government with the support of five independents. [11] On 5 April 1957, E. M. S. Namboodiripad became the chief minister of Kerala and first non–Congress chief minister of the country( PSP Ruled travencore cohin state before) . But the government was dismissed in 1959 by the central government following the Liberation Struggle. [12]

E. M. S. Namboodiripad Indian politician

Elamkulam Manakkal Sankaran Namboodiripad, popularly EMS, was an Indian communist politician and theorist, who served as the first Chief Minister of Kerala state in 1957–59 and then again in 1967–69. As a member of the Communist Party of India (CPI), he became the first non-Indian National Congress chief minister in the Indian republic. In 1964, he led a faction of the CPI that broke away to form the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He completed his graduation from St. Thomas College, Thrissur.

See also

Related Research Articles

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Kerala Legislative Assembly Unicameral legislature of the Indian state of Kerala

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Vimochana Samaram

The Vimochana Samaram (1958–59) was an anti-Communist backlash against the first elected state-government in Kerala, India, which was led by E. M. S. Namboodiripad of the Communist Party of India. Organised opposition to the state government was spearheaded by the Catholic Church in Kerala, the Nair Service Society and the Indian Union Muslim League, and backed by elements of India's ruling Indian National Congress Party; although termed a "liberation struggle", the campaign was largely peaceful, taking the form of statewide meetings and public demonstrations. In June 1959, Kerala was rocked by mass protests calling for the resignation of the communist ministry. The Indian government finally bowed to pressure and dismissed Namboodiripad on July 31, 1959.

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1952 Madras Legislative Assembly election

The first legislative assembly Election to the Madras state on the basis of universal adult suffrage was held in March 1952. This was the first election held in Madras state after the Indian Independence. This election was officially known as 1951 Madras State Election, even though through delays, actual voting didn't take place until early 1952.

1957 Madras Legislative Assembly election

The second legislative assembly election to the Madras state was held on 31 March 1957. This was the first election held after the linguistic reorganisation of Madras state in 1954. Indian National Congress and its leader K. Kamaraj won the election, and defeated its rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. In 1954, due to the resignation of C. Rajagopalachari, for his controversial Kula Kalvi Thittam, the leadership of Congress was contested, between K. Kamaraj, and C. Subramaniam. Eventually, K. Kamaraj, won the support of the party, was elected leader and chief minister of Madras State in 1954. In a surprise move, he appointed both M. Bhaktavatsalam and C. Subramaniam, in his cabinet, allowing great unity amongst Congress, that ruled the state of Madras, for the next decade. This election saw future DMK leaders, M. Karunanidhi and K. Anbazhagan winning their first MLA seat in the legislative assembly.

First E. M. S. Namboodiripad ministry

The Council of Ministers (1957–59) of Legislative Assembly, Kerala state was the first Council of Ministers, the executive wing of state government, in the Indian state of Kerala. The ministry was led by Communist Party of India leader E. M. S. Namboodiripad from 5 April 1957 to 31 July 1959 and had eleven ministries.

The Travancore Tamil Nadu Congress (TTNC) was a political party in the Indian state of Travancore-Cochin. The party was led by A. Nesamony.

Elections to the Legislative Assembly of the Indian state of Travancore-Cochin were held on 15 February 1954. 265 candidates competed for the 106 constituencies in the Assembly. There were 11 two-member constituencies and 95 single-member constituencies. Out of these, 1 single member and 1 two-member constituency was reserved for SC.

1952 Travancore-Cochin Legislative Assembly election

Elections to the Legislative Assembly of the Indian state of Travancore-Cochin were held on 27 March 1952.

1960 Kerala Legislative Assembly election

The Kerala Legislative Assembly election of 1960 was the second assembly election in the Indian state of Kerala. The elections were held on 1 February 1960.

Chathannoor (Assembly constituency) constituency of the Kerala legislative assembly in India

Chathannoor Assembly Constituency or Chathannur Assembly Constituency is a legislative assembly constituency in Kollam district of Kerala, India.

P. Ravindran

Padmanabhan Ravindran or P. Ravindran was an Indian politician who was the Minister for Industries, Labour and Forests in Kerala from 1 November 1969 to 3 August 1970. He was the secretary of the CPI Legislature Party from 1967 to 69. Ravindran was imprisoned many times for political reasons. He also chaired as the Chairman and Managing Director of Janayugom Newspaper, Prabhatham Printers and Publishing Company. He has played a major role in building the party cadre in the state of Kerala and received the Sadanandan Award for the Best Co-operator.

Kottarakkara (Assembly constituency)

Kottarakara or Kottarakkara is a legislative assembly constituency in Kollam district of Kerala, India. It is one among the 11 assembly constituencies in Kollam district.

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Eravipuram (Assembly constituency)

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References

  1. ↑ James Manor (1994). Nehru to the Nineties: The Changing Office of Prime Minister in India. C. Hurst & Co. Publishers. p. 210. ISBN   978-1-85065-180-2.
  2. ↑ Thomas Johnson Nossiter (1 January 1982). Communism in Kerala: A Study in Political Adaptation. University of California Press. p. 1. ISBN   978-0-520-04667-2.
  3. ↑ "Reorganisation of States, 1955" (PDF). The Economic Weekly. 15 October 1955. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  4. 1 2 P Radhakrishnan. Peasant Struggles, Land Reforms and Social Change: Malabar 1836–1982. Radhakrishnan. p. 71. ISBN   978-1-906083-16-8.
  5. ↑ G. Radhakrishna Kurup (2004). Politics of Congress Factionalism in Kerala Since 1982. Gyan Publishing House. p. 43. ISBN   978-81-7835-284-8.
  6. ↑ Communal Road to a Secular Kerala. Concept Publishing Company. 1 January 1989. p. 145. ISBN   978-81-7022-282-8.
  7. ↑ "History of Kerala Legislature". kerala.gov.in. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  8. 1 2 "Key highlights of General election, 1957 to the legislative assembly of Kerala" (pdf). Election Commission of India . Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  9. ↑ "Statistical Report on General Election, 1957 : To the Legislative Assembly of Kerala" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 2014-10-14.
  10. ↑ "Only 7 women make it to Kerala state Assembly". Economic Times. 16 May 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  11. ↑ Thomas Johnson Nossiter (1 January 1982). Communism in Kerala: A Study in Political Adaptation. University of California Press. pp. 122–123. ISBN   978-0-520-04667-2.
  12. ↑ "Fresh light on 'Liberation Struggle'". The Hindu. 12 February 2008. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
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