1945 Indian general election

General elections were held in British India in December 1945 to elect members of the Central Legislative Assembly and the Council of State.[1] The Indian National Congress emerged as the largest party, winning 59 of the 102 elected seats.[2] The Muslim League won all Muslim constituencies, but failed to win any other seats. Of the 13 remaining seats, 8 went to Europeans, 3 to independents, and 2 to Akali candidates in the Sikh constituencies of Punjab.[3] This election coupled with the provincial one in 1946 proved to be a strategic victory for Jinnah and the partitionists. Even though Congress won, the League had united the Muslim vote and as such it gained the negotiating power to seek a separate Muslim homeland as it became clear that a united India would prove highly unstable. The elected members later formed the Constituent Assembly of India.

1945 Indian general election
1945
102 seats contested
52 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Leader Sarat Chandra Bose Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Party INC AIML
Seats won 59 30
Subsequent administration

Interim Government of India
Coalition government

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These were the last general elections in British India; consequent elections were held in 1951 in India and 1970 in Pakistan.

Background

On 19 September 1945, the Viceroy Lord Wavell announced that elections to the central and provincial legislatures would be held in December 1945 to January 1946. It was also announced that an executive council would be formed and a constitution-making body would be convened after these elections.[1][4]

Although the Government of India Act 1935 had proposed an all-India federation, it could not take place because the government held that the Princely states were unwilling to join it. Consequently, rather than choosing 375 members, only 102 elective seats were to be filled. Hence the elections to the central legislature were held under the terms of the Government of India Act 1919.

Results

Central Legislative Assembly
Party Seats Leader
Indian National Congress59Sarat Chandra Bose
Muslim League30Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Akali Dal2
Independents3
Europeans8Percival Joseph Griffiths
Total102
Source: Schwartzberg Atlas

Membership by province

Province Europeans Independent Minor parties Congress
(General)		 Congress
(Non-General)		 Muslim League Total
Assam??1? 4
Ajmer-Merwara11
Bengal3??5? 17
Bihar and Orissa??12
Bombay2??2? 16
Central Provinces???1? 6
Delhi11
Madras1???3? 16
North West Frontier Province1[5]01
Punjab?2 (Akali Dal)?6[6]12
Sind?3?
United Provinces1?0??4? 16
Total83249[7]1030102?

Elected members
Further information: Constituent_Assembly_of_India § Members (by province/state)

See also

References
  1. Vohra, Ranbir. The Making of India: A Political History. p. 176.
  2. Schwartzberg Atlas
  3. Major Elections - Schwartzberg Atlas
  4. Sen, S. N. History of the Freedom Movement in India (1857-1947). p. 317.
  5. History Modern India, S. N. Sen ISBN 8122417744
  6. http://pu.edu.pk/images/journal/studies/PDF-FILES/Artical%20No-1.pdf
  7. http://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/schwartzberg/pager.html?object=260&view=text
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