1957 Indian general election

Last updated

1957 Indian general election
Flag of India.svg
  1951 24 February – 14 March 1957 1962  

494 of the 505 seats in the Lok Sabha
248 seats needed for a majority
Registered193,652,179
Turnout45.44% (Increase2.svg 0.57pp)
 First partySecond partyThird party
  Jnehru.jpg 3x4.svg Jawaharlal Nehru with Jayaprakash Narayan (cropped).jpg
Leader Jawaharlal Nehru Ajoy Ghosh Jayaprakash Narayan
Party INC CPI PSP
Last election44.99%, 364 seats3.29%, 16 seats
Seats won3712719
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 7Increase2.svg 11New
Popular vote57,579,58910,754,07512,542,666
Percentage47.78%8.92%10.41%
SwingIncrease2.svg 2.79pp Increase2.svg 5.63pp New

Wahlergebnisse in Indien 1957.svg
Results by constituency

Prime Minister before election

Jawaharlal Nehru
INC

Prime Minister after election

Jawaharlal Nehru
INC

General elections were held in India between 24 February and 9 June 1957, the second elections to the Lok Sabha after independence. Elections to many state legislatures were held simultaneously.

Contents

Under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru, the Indian National Congress easily won a second term in power, taking 371 of the 494 seats. They gained an extra seven seats (the size of the Lok Sabha had been increased by five) and their vote share increased from 45% to 48%. The INC received nearly five times more votes than the Communist Party, the second largest party. In addition, 19% of the vote and 42 seats went to independent candidates, the highest of any Indian general election.

Electoral system

There were 494 seats elected using first past the post voting. Out of the 403 constituencies, 91 elected two members, while the remaining 312 elected a single member. [1] [2] The multi-seat constituencies were abolished before the next election.

The elections were overseen by Sukumar Sen, the Chief Election Commissioner, who used the existing election infrastructure to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Historian Ramachandra Guha wrote "this general election cost the exchequer Rs45 million less than the previous one. The prudent Sen had safely stored the 3.5 million ballot boxes the first time round and only half a million additional ones were required." [3]

Results

Lok Sabha Zusammensetzung 1957.svg
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Indian National Congress 57,579,58947.78371Increase2.svg7
Praja Socialist Party 12,542,66610.4119Decrease2.svg2
Communist Party of India 10,754,0758.9227Increase2.svg11
Bharatiya Jana Sangh 7,193,2675.974Increase2.svg1
Scheduled Castes Federation 2,038,8901.696Increase2.svg4
All India Ganatantra Parishad 1,291,1411.077Increase2.svg1
People's Democratic Front 1,044,0320.872Decrease2.svg5
Hindu Mahasabha 1,032,3220.861Decrease2.svg3
Peasants and Workers Party of India 924,8320.774Increase2.svg2
Jharkhand Party 751,8300.626Increase2.svg3
Forward Bloc (Marxist) 665,3410.552Increase2.svg1
Chota Nagpur Santhal Parganas Janata Party 501,3590.423Increase2.svg2
Akhil Bharatiya Ram Rajya Parishad 460,8380.380Decrease2.svg3
Revolutionary Socialist Party 308,7420.260Decrease2.svg3
Praja Party 140,7420.1200
Independents23,284,24919.3242Increase2.svg5
Appointed members [lower-alpha 1] 11Increase2.svg1
Total120,513,915100.00505Increase2.svg6
Registered voters/turnout193,652,17945.44
Source: ECI
  1. Six representing Jammu and Kashmir, two representing Anglo-Indians, one representing Part B Tribal Areas in Assam, one representing the Amindive, Laccadive and Minicoy Islands and one representing the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Results by state

StateTotal
seats
Seats won
INC CPI PSP GP SCF JKP BJS OthersInd.App.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands 11
Andhra Pradesh 4337222
Assam 12921
Bihar 53412631
Bombay 6638455248
Delhi 55
Himachal Pradesh 44
Kerala 186912
Jammu and Kashmir 66
Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindivi Islands 11
Madhya Pradesh 36351
Madras 413128
Manipur 211
Mysore 2623111
North-East Frontier Agency 11
Orissa 2071273
Punjab 22211
Rajasthan 22193
Tripura 211
Uttar Pradesh 86701429
West Bengal 36236223
Anglo-Indians 22
Total50537127197664124211
Source: ECI

Andhra Pradesh

PartyVotes%Seats
Indian National Congress 4,906,04451.4737
Communist Party of India 1,144,81112.012
People's Democratic Front 1,044,03210.952
Other parties600,6866.300
Independents1,835,80019.262
Total9,531,373100.0043

Assam

PartyVotes%+/–Seats+/–
Indian National Congress 1,184,70851.68+5.949–2
Praja Socialist Party 457,64319.96–9.232+1
Communist Party of India 235,04410.25New0New
Independents415,21718.11+4.371+1
Total2,292,612100.00120

Bihar

PartyVotes%+/–Seats+/–
Indian National Congress 4,450,20844.47–1.3041–4
Jharkhand Party 751,8307.51+0.106+3
Chota Nagpur Santhal Parganas Janata Party 501,3595.01+2.653+2
Praja Socialist Party 2,165,46221.64–2.832–1
Communist Party of India 502,7075.02+4.6200
Other parties51,4160.51–6.000–2
Independents1,584,89415.84+2.7610
Total10,007,876100.0053–2

Bombay

PartyVotes%+/–Seats+/–
Indian National Congress 8,156,27248.66–1.4938–2
Praja Socialist Party 1,457,2038.69–11.455+5
Scheduled Caste Federation 1,354,4758.08+3.655+4
Communist Party of India 1,055,0136.29+4.954+4
Peasants and Workers Party of India 924,8325.52–1.484+3
Bharatiya Jana Sangh 566,0083.38New2New
Other parties136,7490.82–4.1400
Independents3,109,73318.55+6.588+5
Total16,760,285100.0066+21

Kerala

PartyVotes%Seats
Communist Party of India 2,267,88837.489
Indian National Congress 2,102,88334.766
Praja Socialist Party 438,4597.251
Revolutionary Socialist Party 308,7425.100
Independents932,27415.412
Total6,050,246100.0018

Madhya Pradesh

PartyVotes%+/–Seats+/–
Indian National Congress 3,967,19952.10+0.4735+8
Hindu Mahasabha 373,5034.91+4.601+1
Praja Socialist Party 1,225,73516.10–2.3800
Bharatiya Jana Sangh 1,062,93613.96+9.0200
Other parties376,4414.94–7.7700
Independents608,4087.99–3.940–2
Total7,614,222100.0036+7

Madras

PartyVotes%+/–Seats+/–
Indian National Congress 5,094,55246.52+10.1331–4
Communist Party of India 1,101,33810.06+1.112–6
Praja Socialist Party 399,7893.65–11.430–8
Independents4,355,16239.77+16.628–7
Total10,950,841100.0041–34

Mysore

PartyVotes%+/–Seats+/–
Indian National Congress 3,219,01455.52–13.4223+13
Praja Socialist Party 1,082,69818.67–10.7910
Scheduled Caste Federation 115,2141.99New1New
Other parties228,9793.9500
Independents1,152,53519.88+9.521+1
Total5,798,440100.0026+15

Orissa

PartyVotes%+/–Seats+/–
Indian National Congress 1,776,76740.01–2.507–4
All India Ganatantra Parishad 1,291,14129.08+2.857+1
Praja Socialist Party 684,02315.40–1.442+1
Communist Party of India 214,9034.84–0.9310
Independents473,65610.67+2.023+2
Total4,440,490100.00200

Punjab

PartyVotes%+/–Seats+/–
Indian National Congress 3,682,21951.26+8.5021+5
Communist Party of India 1,207,60016.81+11.771+1
Bharatiya Jana Sangh 1,152,67216.05+10.4500
Other parties333,6304.64–23.320–2
Independents807,70911.24–7.4000
Total7,183,830100.0022+4

Rajasthan

PartyVotes%+/–Seats+/–
Indian National Congress 2,494,09453.65+12.2319+10
Bharatiya Jana Sangh 518,35511.15+8.110–1
Other parties356,2787.66–18.720–4
Independents1,280,35627.54–1.623–3
Total4,649,083100.0022+2

Uttar Pradesh

PartyVotes%+/–Seats+/–
Indian National Congress 10,599,63946.29–6.7070–11
Praja Socialist Party 3,511,15715.34–2.504+2
Bharatiya Jana Sangh 3,385,24714.79+7.502+2
Communist Party of India 383,5091.67+1.321+1
Akhil Bharatiya Ram Rajya Parishad 98,1380.43–3.1200
Independents4,918,41321.48+10.149+7
Total22,896,103100.00860

West Bengal

PartyVotes%+/–Seats+/–
Indian National Congress 5,031,69648.20+6.1023–1
Communist Party of India 1,985,18119.01+9.556+1
Marxist Forward Bloc 665,3416.37+1.852+2
Praja Socialist Party 590,6925.66–5.262+2
Hindu Mahasabha 561,7415.38+1.110–1
Bharatiya Jana Sangh 149,3511.43–4.510–2
Independents1,456,09813.95–4.513+3
Total10,440,100100.0036+2

Women performance in elections

Based on the published data from the Election Commission of India (ECI) website. [4]

Participation

State/UTTotal seatsWomen contestantsElectedWomen contestants (%)Elected (%)
WomenSeats
Andhra Pradesh434333.5%6.9%
Assam122226.5%14.3%
Bihar537753.7%9.4%
Bombay665533.11%4.5%
Kerala181101.7%0
Madhya Pradesh368636.6%8.3%
Madras412213.2%2.4%
Mysore2600000
Manipur200000
Orissa2000000
Punjab221111.3%4.5%
Rajasthan2200  000
Tripura100000
Uttar Pradesh866412.05%13.75%
West Bengal3654211.59%1.1%
Delhi542114.8%20%
Himachal Pradesh400000
India4944537222.96%4.45%

Voting

The first instance of booth capturing in India was recorded in 1957 in the General Elections of that year in Rachiyahi, in Begusarai's Matihani assembly seat. [5] [6] [7] [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

Politics of India works within the framework of the country's Constitution. India is a parliamentary secular democratic republic in which the president of India is the head of state & first citizen of India and the Prime Minister of India is the head of government. It is based on the federal structure of government, although the word is not used in the Constitution itself. India follows the dual polity system, i.e. federal in nature, that consists of the central authority at the centre and states at the periphery. The Constitution defines the organizational powers and limitations of both central and state governments; it is well recognised, fluid and considered supreme, i.e. the laws of the nation must conform to it.

India has a parliamentary system as defined by its constitution, with power distributed between the union government and the states. India's democracy is the largest democracy in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1st Lok Sabha</span> 1st lower house of the Parliament of India

The First Lok Sabha was constituted on 17 April 1952 after India's first general election. The 1st Lok Sabha lasted its full tenure of five years and was dissolved on 4 April 1957. The First Session of this Lok Sabha commenced on 13 May 1952.

Madhu Dandavate was an Indian physicist and socialist politician, who served as Minister of Railways in the Morarji Desai ministry, and as Minister of Finance in the V P Singh ministry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha constituency</span> Lok Sabha Constituency in Maharashtra

Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha constituency is a Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituency of Maharashtra state in western India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandi Lok Sabha constituency</span> Lok Sabha constituency in Himachal Pradesh

Mandi Lok Sabha constituency is one of the four Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in Himachal Pradesh state in northern India. Pratibha Singh, representing INC, won the last Lok Sabha byelection in 2021 from Mandi following the death of Ram Swaroop Sharma who won in 2019 general Lok Sabha election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lakshadweep Lok Sabha constituency</span> Constituency of the Indian parliament

Lakshadweep Lok Sabha constituency is a Lok Sabha constituency, which covers the entire area of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep in India. This seat is reserved for Scheduled Tribes. As of 2014, it is the smallest Lok Sabha constituency in terms of electorate. Lakshadweep didn't have an elected Member of Parliament till 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1951–52 Indian general election</span>

General elections were held in India between 25 October 1951 and 21 February 1952, the first after India attained independence in 1947. Voters elected the 489 members of the first Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India. Elections to most of the state legislatures were held simultaneously.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1962 Indian general election</span>

General elections were held in India between 19 and 25 February 1962 to elect members of the third Lok Sabha. Unlike the previous two elections, each constituency elected a single member.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1977 Indian general election</span>

General elections were held in India between 16 and 20 March 1977 to elect the members of the sixth Lok Sabha. The elections took place during the Emergency period, which expired on 21 March 1977, shortly before the final results were announced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashoke Kumar Sen</span> Indian politician and lawyer

Ashoke Kumar Sen was an Indian barrister, a former Cabinet minister of India, and an Indian parliamentarian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sukumar Sen (civil servant)</span> Indian civil servant

Sukumar Sen was an Indian civil servant who was the 1st Chief Election Commissioner of India, serving from 21 March 1950 to 19 December 1958. Under his leadership, the Election Commission successfully administered and oversaw independent India's first two general elections, in 1951–52 and in 1957. He also served as first Chief Election Commissioner in Sudan in 1953.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vadodara Lok Sabha constituency</span> Lok Sabha constituency in Gujarat

Vadodara is one of the 26 Lok Sabha constituencies in Gujarat, a state in Western India. This constituency covers 7 out of 10 Vidhan Sabha constituencies of Vadodara district and first held elections in 1957 as Baroda Lok Sabha constituency in erstwhile Bombay State. It has been known as Vadodara since the 2009 elections. Its first member of parliament (MP) was Fatehsinghrao Gaekwad of the Indian National Congress (INC) who was also re-elected in the next elections in 1962. He was the Maharaja of Baroda of the Gaekwad dynasty at the time. P. C. Patel of the Swatantra Party won the election in 1967. From 1971–80, Gaekwad was MP of this constituency again firstly as a member of the Indian National Congress (Organisation) and then as a member of the INC. His younger brother, Ranjitsinh Pratapsinh Gaekwad also of the INC represented the constituency from 1980–89 for two terms before being defeated by Prakash Brahmbhatt of the Janata Dal party in the 1989 election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amethi Lok Sabha constituency</span> Lok Sabha Constituency in Uttar Pradesh, India

Amethi is one of the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. This constituency covers the entire Amethi district and was created in 1967. Its first member of parliament (MP) was Vidya Dhar Bajpai of the Indian National Congress (INC) who was elected in 1967 and held his seat in the next election in 1971. In the 1977 election, Ravindra Pratap Singh of the Janata Party became its MP. Singh was defeated in 1980 by Sanjay Gandhi of the INC. Later the same year, Gandhi died in a plane crash. This forced a by election in 1981 which was won by his brother, Rajiv Gandhi. Gandhi went on to represent this constituency until 1991, when he was assassinated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The subsequent by election held the same year was won by Satish Sharma of the INC. Sharma was re-elected in 1996. Sanjaya Sinh of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) defeated Sharma in the 1998 election. The widow of Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi represented this constituency from 1999 to 2004. Her son, Rahul Gandhi, was elected in 2004. He was the fourth MP from the Nehru–Gandhi family since 1980 to represent the seat. Gandhi held the seat till the 2019 election when he was defeated by a margin of 55,000 votes by the BJP's Smriti Irani.

Madhubani is one of the 40 Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in Bihar state in eastern India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nagapattinam Lok Sabha constituency</span> One of the 39 Parliamentary Constituencies in Tamil Nadu, in India.

Nagapattinam is a Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu. Its Tamil Nadu Parliamentary Constituency number is 29 of 39. The seat is reserved for scheduled castes. The constituency is noted for being an historically communist stronghold, having elected Communist Party of India parliamentary representative seven times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matihani Assembly constituency</span> Vidhan Sabha constituency

Matihani Assembly constituency is an assembly constituency in Begusarai district in the Indian state of Bihar.

J. Mohammed Imam was an Indian politician and 2 time Member of Parliament (MP), represented the Chitradurga constituency in Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha</span> Representative of the Indian people in the lower house of the Indian Parliament

A Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha is the representative of a legislative constituency in the Lok Sabha; the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of parliament of Lok Sabha are chosen by direct elections on the basis of the adult suffrage. The maximum permitted strength of members of parliament in the Lok Sabha is 550. This includes the maximum 530 members to represent the constituencies and states and up to 20 members to represent the union territories. Between 1952 and 2020, two seats were reserved for members of the Anglo-Indian community. The current elected strength of the Lok Sabha is 543. The party—or coalition of parties—having a majority in the Lok Sabha chooses the Prime Minister of India.

The Indian general election of 1962 elected the 3rd Lok Sabha of India and first election after formation of "Gujarat", was held from 19 to 25 February. Unlike the previous two elections but as with all subsequent elections, each constituency elected a single member. Jawaharlal Nehru won another landslide victory in his third and final election campaign. The Indian National Congress took 44.7% of the vote and won 361 of the 494 seats. In Gujarat, INC won 16 seat out of total 22 seats.

References

  1. "Statistical Report on General Election, 1957 : To the Second Lok Sabha Volume-I" (PDF). Election Commission of India. p. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  2. "Statistical Report on General Election, 1957 : To the Second Lok Sabha Volume-II" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 June 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  3. Guha, Ramachandra (2022). India after Gandhi: the history of the world's largest democracy (10th anniversary edition, updated and expanded, first published in hardcover ed.). New Delhi: Picador India. ISBN   978-93-82616-97-9.
  4. "Statistical Report on General Election, 1957 : To the Second Lok Sabha Volume-I" (PDF). Election Commission of India. p. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  5. "Where booth capturing was born". Archived from the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  6. "In central Bihar, development runs into caste wall". Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  7. "Empty words in legend's forgotten village". Archived from the original on 13 October 2015.
  8. "The myth of history's first booth capturing taking place in Begusarai's Rachiyahi". Archived from the original on 12 October 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2015.