First General Elections
The first general elections were conducted in India in 1951, for 489
constituencies representing 26 Indian states. At that time, there were a few two-seat and even a three-seat constituency. The multi-seat constituencies were discontinued in 1960s.There are 176 million people eligible to vote, although only 15% can read or write.
The Congress Party of India, led by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, has won an outright victory in the country’s first general election.The party has won 249 of the 489 seats contested in the Lower House, and even with 133 results yet to be declared it is clear that the Congress Party will control the next Parliament.
The victory has earned Pandit Nehru a further five-year term in office. He has led the interim government since 1947, when power passed from British to Indian hands, but this makes him India’s first prime minister to be elected by universal suffrage.
Last Election Update (2004 Elections in Figures)
In 2004, Indian elections covered a electorate larger than 670 million people — over twice that of the next largest, the European Parliament elections — and declared expenditure has trebled since 1989 to almost $300 million, using more than 1 million electronic voting machines.
Prime Ministers of India
Image Source : Rediff
Hi there! I’m Sethu, your go-to guy for all things tech, travel, internet, movies, and business tips. I love sharing insights and stories that make life more interesting. Let’s explore the world together, one article at a time!
