In the article we present today we will delve into the fascinating world of 1957 Indian general election, exploring its multiple facets and its relevance in today's society. From its origins to its impact today, we will examine in detail how 1957 Indian general election has played a fundamental role in people's lives, in history, in culture, in the business world, in technology, or in any other field that you can imagine. Through an exhaustive and enriching analysis, we will unravel the most relevant and surprising aspects of 1957 Indian general election, offering our readers a broad and complete vision of this exciting topic.
General elections were held in India between 24 February and 14 March 1957, the second elections to the Lok Sabha after independence. Elections to many state legislatures were held simultaneously.
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. 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."
Based on the published data from the Election Commission of India (ECI) website.
Participation
State/UT
Total seats
Women contestants
Elected
Women contestants (%)
Elected (%)
Women
Seats
Andhra Pradesh
43
4
3
3
3.5%
6.9%
Assam
12
2
2
2
6.5%
14.3%
Bihar
53
7
7
5
3.7%
9.4%
Bombay
66
5
5
3
3.11%
4.5%
Kerala
18
1
1
0
1.7%
0
Madhya Pradesh
36
8
6
3
6.6%
8.3%
Madras
41
2
2
1
3.2%
2.4%
Mysore
26
0
0
0
0
0
Manipur
2
0
0
0
0
0
Orissa
20
0
0
0
0
0
Punjab
22
1
1
1
1.3%
4.5%
Rajasthan
22
0
0
0
0
0
Tripura
1
0
0
0
0
0
Uttar Pradesh
86
6
4
1
2.05%
13.75%
West Bengal
36
5
4
2
11.59%
1.1%
Delhi
5
4
2
1
14.8%
20%
Himachal Pradesh
4
0
0
0
0
0
India
494
45
37
22
2.96%
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.
^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. ISBN978-93-82616-97-9.