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India defied many predictions and social-scientific generalization when in the face of all odds it affirmed its faith in opting for democracy at the inception of independence. Provision of a universal adult franchise at the very outset, was all the more remarkable given the prevailing challenges. These challenges, as observed by many, were:
♤ largely poor and illiterate population
♤ Immense geographic, social and economic diversity.
Never in history was such an experiment undertaken. The success of India in this context over the years has become an example to be emulated for other countries across the globe.
It is noteworthy thatfaced with such serious challenges, other leaders from different countries did not prefer democracy as a form of governance. Leadership in many of the newly independent countries argued that when the priority was national unity, democracy was not suitable as it would bring differences and conflicts. Hence, various forms of non-democratic regimes were adopted in many of the newly independent countries. Post-independence the political leadership in India believed that while competition and power are the two most visible things about politics, the intention of political activity should be deciding and pursuing public interest.
Setting up Institutional aspects of the democratic system
After adoption of constitution on January 26, 1950, It was necessary to install the first democratically elected government of the country. The Election commission of India was set up in January 1950 with a constitutional provision to conduct free and fair elections. Sukumar Sen became the first Chief Election Commissioner, at the time theECI was single member body..
India has adopted universal adult franchise model of democracy where any person with prescribed condition of age, could vote without any form of discriminations. Election commission soon realized that it was an uphill task to conduct a free and fair election in a country of India's size. Holding an election required delimitation or drawing the boundaries of constituencies and preparation of electoral rolls.. Nearly 40 lakh woman registered themselves as wife or daughter of somebody rather registering themselves by their names. The election commission refused to accept these entries and ordered a revision if possible and deletion if necessary.
Preparing for the first general election was a huge exercise. No election on this scale had ever been conducted in the world before. At that time there were 17 crores eligible voters, who had to elect about 489 MPs of Lok Sabha and 3200 MLA of state assemblies. Only 15% of these eligible voters were literate. Hence Election Commission had sought some special method of voting, like the candidates were to be identified by symbols, assigned to each major party and independent candidates, painted on the ballot papers in the box assigned to a particular candidate and ballot was secret.
Election Commission trained over 3 lakhs officers and polling staff to conduct the election. Democracy took a giant step forward with the first elections were the biggest experiment in democracy anywhere in the world. Many people were skeptical about the democratic elections being conducted in the caste ridden, multi religious, illiterate and backward society like India.
Over 224000 polling booths, one for almost every 1000 voters were constructed and equipped with over 2.5 million steel ballot boxes one box for every candidate. Nearly 620,000,000 ballot papers were printed. In a first past the post contest Whoever got the plurality or the largest number of votes would get elected.
In all, candidates of over 14 national and 63 regional or local parties and a large number of independents contested the elections. Nearly 17500 candidates in all stood for the seats to the Lok Sabha and the state legislatures. The elections were spread out over nearly four months from Oct 25, 1951 to Feb 21, 1952 Later this period was reduced to nineteen days in 1957 and 07 to 10 days in subsequent elections. Suitable conditions were created for free participation of opposition parties in elections including Jan Sangh & communist party of India (CPI). Nehru vigorously campaigned for the Congress. He made communalism the central issue of his campaign, due to the basic struggle at that time between secular and communal forces on the background of partition inflicted communal violence and riots. The elections were conducted in a fair, free, impartial and orderly manner with very little violence.
People's response to the new political order was tremendous. They participated in the polls with enough knowledge that their vote was a prized possession. At certain places, people treated polling as a festival wearing festive clothes, women wearing their jewellery. Despite higher percentage of poverty and illiteracy, the number of invalid votes cast was a low as 0.3% to 0.4%. A remarkable feature was the widespread participation of women: at least 40% of women eligible to vote did so. Thus, the faith of the leadership in the people was fully justified. When the elections results were declared, it was realised that nearly 46% of the eligible voters had cast their vote.
There were many political parties which had participated in country's first general elections and state assemblies elections in free India. Starting from the Indian National Congress to Socialist Party, Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party, Communist and allies, Jan Singh, Hindu Mahasabha, RRP [Ram Rajya Parishad] other local parties and independents. The Congress had emerged as the single largest party by winning 364 seats with 45% of total polled votes for Lok Sabha. The Congress formed all the government in all the states and at the centre too. It did not get a majority on its own in four states–Madras, Travancore-Cochin, Orissa, PEPSU but formed governments even there with the help of independents and smaller local parties which then merged with it. The communist performance was big surprise and it emerged as the second largest group in the Lok Sabha. Princes and big landlords still wielded a great deal of influence in some parts of the country. Their party Gantantra Parishad won 31 seats in Orissa Assembly.
Despite the numerically dominant position of the Congress, the opposition was quite effective in parliament. Other forms of political participation such as trade unions, Kishan Sabha, strikes, hartals, bands and demonstrations were available to the middle classes, organized working class and sections of the rich and middle class peasantry. Elections were the main form of direct political participation for the vast mass of rural and urban poor.
After 1952, during the Nehru years, two other general elections were held for the Lok Sabha and state assembles in 1957 & 1962. Voter’s turnout improved in 1957 to 47% and in 1962 to 54%. In both the elections, the Congress again emerged as a single largest party and formed government at the centre and at states level. However, in 1957, the communist were able to form a government in Kerala, which was the first democratically elected communist government anywhere in the world.
The fair and peaceful conduct of the polls was an indication that the democratic system and institutions, a legacy of the national movement were beginning to take root. The successful conduct of the polls was one of the reasons why India and Nehru, came to be admired abroad, especially in the ex-colonial countries.