Era of One-Party Dominance

Lesson

Part 1 — the first three general elections and how one party came to dominate.

In this lesson you will

Explain why India's first general election was a test for democracy and how it was organised
Describe the role of the Election Commission and the use of symbols
Compare the results of the 1952, 1957 and 1962 elections
Explain how first-past-the-post gave the Congress more seats than votes

Part 1 at a glance

Concept

Why 1951 was a test

India gave every adult the vote at once, in a poor and largely non-literate society.

Figures are approximate.
Challenge in 1951	How it was met
About 17 crore adults, most voting for the first time	Electoral rolls prepared and constituencies drawn
Most voters could not read	A symbol for each candidate
A vast country with poor roads	Polling spread over several months
Doubts at home and abroad	Peaceful polls; results accepted by losers

Concept

Set up in January 1950. The first Chief Election Commissioner was Sukumar Sen.