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All 126 seats in the Kerala Legislative Assembly 64 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Turnout | 85.72% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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. [1]
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.
In the 1957 elections in Kerala, the Communist Party of India formed the government with the support of five independents. [2] But in 1959, the Central Government dismissed the democratically elected government through the controversial Article 356 of the Indian Constitution following "The Liberation Struggle", [3] [4] even though the elected communist government was enjoying majority support within the legislature. [5] After a short period of the President's rule, fresh elections were called in 1960.
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.
The Government of India, often abbreviated as GoI, is the union government created by the constitution of India as the legislative, executive and judicial authority of the union of 29 states and seven union territories of a constitutionally democratic republic. It is located in New Delhi, the capital of India.
There were 114 legislative assembly constituencies in the Kerala Legislative Assembly, 1957. Out of these 102 were single member constituencies while the number of double member constituencies was 12. One constituency was reserved for Schedule Caste. There were 64,77,665 electors in single member constituencies, while in double member constituencies there were 15,63,333 electors. Total 312 candidates contested for the 126 seats of the 114 constituencies in the Assembly. [6] Poll percentage was 85.72%, an increase of 20.23% from 65.49% in 1957 assembly elections.
Four national parties, Communist Party of India, Indian National Congress, Praja Socialist Party and Bharatiya Jana Sangha along with the state party Muslim League took part in the assembly election. [6] In these elections, Indian National Congress, Praja Socialist Party and Indian Union Muslim League formed a pre-poll alliance to counter the Communist Party of India. [1] Together they fielded 125 candidates and supported an independent candidate, while the Communist Party of India fielded 108 candidates and gave party support to 16 independents. [1]
The Indian National Congress(
The Praja Socialist Party (PSP) is an Indian political party. It was founded when the Socialist Party, led by Jayprakash Narayan, Acharya Narendra Deva and Basawon Singh (Sinha), merged with the Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party led by J.B. Kripalani.
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is a political party in India. It is recognized by the Election Commission of India as a State Party in Kerala.
Political Party | Flag | Seats Contested | Won | Net Change in seats | % of Seats | Votes | Vote % | Change in vote % | Vote % in contested seats | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bharatiya Jana Sangh | 3 | 0 | New | 0 | 5,277 | 0.07 | New | 3.28 | ||
Communist Party of India | 108 | 29 | 23.02 | 3,171,732 | 39.14 | 43.79 | ||||
Indian National Congress | 80 | 63 | 50.00 | 2,789,556 | 34.42 | 45.37 | ||||
Praja Socialist Party | 33 | 20 | 15.87 | 1,146,028 | 14.14 | 38.41 | ||||
IUML | 12 | 11 | New | 8.73 | 401,925 | 4.96 | New | 47.79 | ||
Independent | 61 | 5 | 4.17 | 488,699 | 5.93 | -5.61 | 13.96 | |||
Total Seats | 126 ( | Voters | 9,604,331 | Turnout | 8,232,572 (85.72 %) |
Congress and Praja Socialist Party alliance got the majority [6] in the election and hence formed the government. Pattom A. Thanu Pillai of the Praja Socialist Party became the chief minister [8] and R. Sankar of the Indian National Congress became the deputy chief minister on 22 February 1960, with eleven council ministers. [1]
Pattom Thanu Pillai was a participant in the Indian independence movement who later served as the Chief Minister of Kerala from 22 February 1960 to 25 September 1962. He was known as the 'Bhishmacharya' of Kerala politics.
Pattam A. Thanu Pillai resigned on 26 September 1962 after he was appointed as the Governor of Punjab and R. Sankar became the first Congress Chief Minister of Kerala.
In India, President's rule is the suspension of state government and imposition of direct Central Government rule in a state. Under Article 356 of the Constitution of India, in the event that a state government is unable to function according to constitutional provisions, the Central government can take direct control of the state machinery. Subsequently, executive authority is exercised through the centrally appointed governor, who has the authority to appoint other administrators to assist them. The administrators are usually nonpartisan retired civil servants.
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.
R. Sankar was the third Chief Minister of Kerala from 1962 to 1964. He was also the Deputy Chief Minister of the State from 1960 to 1962. Sankar apart as a politician is known as a statesman, administrator, orator, educationist, writer and editor.
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.
Thiruvananthapuram Parliamentary Constituency is one of the 20 parliamentary constituencies of Kerala, the southern state of India. It is located in Thiruvananthapuram district and encompasses Thiruvananthapuram city, the capital of Kerala State.
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.
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.
C. M. Stephen was an Indian politician and Union Minister in the Republic of India. C. M. Stephen was born on 23 December 1918 to Eapen Mathai and Esther of Chembakassery house in Cherukole, Mavelikkara. During his school days, Stephen was active in the Balajanasakhyam. This helped him to develop leadership qualities, oratorial and organizing skills. After completing B. L., Stephen started his career as a journalist. He also started 'Pouraprabha' an evening daily. Through this daily, he supported the Travancore Congress and attacked the rule of C. P. Ramaswamy Iyer. In 1949, he gave up his career as a journalist and started practising law. In 1951, he joined active politics and in the same year became the D.C.C. president of Kollam. He was a close associate of veteran Congress leaders P.T.Chacko, Pattom Thanu Pillai and R. Sankar and provided leadership in the Vimochana Samaram during 1958-59 period as an associate of P. T. Chacko, Pattom Thanu Pillai, R. Sankar and others.
P. P. Ummer Koya was an Indian politician, Gandhian, freedom fighter and educationist. He was the second Education Minister of Government of Kerala headed by Pattom Thanu Pillai. He also served as the Minister for Public Works in government headed by R. Sankar.
Pulloli Thomas Chacko was a prominent politician of Travancore and later Kerala. He was the first Leader of Opposition of the newly formed state of Kerala. He was also the Home Minister of Kerala holding the additional portfolios of Revenue and Law during the period 1960-64.
Annie Mascarene was an Indian freedom fighter and Member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
Elections to the Legislative Assembly of the Indian state of Travancore-Cochin were held on 27 March 1952.
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 and second in the world after San Marino.
R.S. Unni was an Indian politician and trade unionist. He served as a Central Committee member of the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and president of the United Trade Union Congress (UTUC). A state legislator for decades, he served as a Kerala state government minister in the 1980s.
Kerala Janatha was a Malayalam language morning daily newspaper published from Thiruvananthapuram, India. The newspaper was published by Kerala Janatha Printers & Publishers (Pvt.), Ltd. It was published daily, except Mondays.
The Pattom A Thanupillai Ministry was a Kerala government ministry formed on 22 February 1960 and lasted till 26 September 1962.
The Kerala Legislative Assembly election of 1965 was the third assembly election in the Indian state of Kerala.
The Kerala Legislative Assembly election of 1967 was the fourth assembly election in the Indian state of Kerala.