The first elections for both the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies in independent India were held between December 1951 and February 1952. This electoral cycle continued until the end of the 1960s. During this period, the instability of non-Congress state governments led to their downfall, resulting in mid-term elections and breaking the pattern of joint elections to the Lok Sabha and the states.
The Former Prime Minister Postponed the Dates by a Full Year
However, it was the 1971 general elections that completely broke the tradition of simultaneous elections. Originally scheduled for 1972, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi aimed to make the elections a referendum on her populist measures. Consequently, the dates were advanced by a full year, causing a staggered schedule for national and state elections as the terms of many legislative assemblies had not yet ended.
The circumstances surrounding simultaneous elections
As the government endeavors once again to hold simultaneous elections with its One Nation, One Election proposal and a high-level committee, headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, engages with various stakeholders, these circumstances will play a crucial role in evaluating the feasibility of holding major elections every five years in the country.
The Decline of Congress
In a 1971 paper published in the Asian Survey Journal, American political scientist Myron Weiner attributed Congress’s decline in 1967 to various factors, including drought, inflation, wars, the deaths of Prime Ministers Nehru and Shastri, escalating corruption, and the unpopular decision to devalue the rupee.
Additionally, electoral strategies among non-Congress parties and groups, particularly from 1963 onwards, challenged the perception of Congress invincibility. For instance, in 1967, Jan Sangh secured 98 seats following a march by Sadhus to Parliament demanding a nationwide ban on cow slaughter in Uttar Pradesh.
Subsequently, governments formed by opposition parties like the Jan Sangh, socialists, Swatantra Party, and communists emerged in various states, including UP and Bihar. However, these administrations, riddled with internal contradictions and facing the formidable strength of the Congress, soon collapsed, necessitating mid-term elections in states like Haryana, Bihar, Nagaland, Punjab, UP, and West Bengal.
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The Disruption of Simultaneous Elections
Indira Gandhi’s decision to hold Lok Sabha elections in 1971 completely disrupted the system of simultaneous elections. When she assumed leadership of the Congress after Nehru and Shastri’s deaths, internal party divisions plagued the organization. In 1969, Gandhi successfully split the Congress, consolidating her power by garnering support from a significant faction of Congress members and aligning with parties like the CPI and DMK.
Embracing a leftist stance, she pursued populist policies such as bank nationalization and the abolition of privy purses granted to former princes. When the Supreme Court overturned the decision to abolish the privy purse, Gandhi sought the dissolution of the Lok Sabha, opting to seek public endorsement for her policies.
According to Csaba Nicoleni’s 2010 academic paper in the Journal of Political Studies, Indira Gandhi’s opponents within the Congress(O) needed to create an electoral base where national issues and her charismatic personality could directly garner support without relying on local party structures.
Furthermore, in a paper published in the Asian Survey in December 1971, American political scientist and author Lloyd Rudolph noted that Gandhi’s decision to hold immediate, unconventional elections aimed to serve as a national referendum on her policies and leadership.
Weiner observed that, paradoxically, opposition parties inadvertently aided Gandhi’s efforts to shift the focus of voters toward national issues by making her the primary target without presenting a viable national alternative. Consequently, in the 1971 Lok Sabha elections, Congress, along with some allies, defeated the grand alliance of opposition parties, securing 350 Lok Sabha seats with 43 percent of the votes.
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