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1977 Indian general election

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FieldValue
outgoing_membersList of members of the 5th Lok Sabha
elected_membersList of members of the 6th Lok Sabha
countryIndia
typeparliamentary
previous_election1971 Indian general election
previous_year1971
next_election1980 Indian general election
next_year1980
election_date16–20 March 1977
seats_for_election542 of the 544 seats in the Lok Sabha
majority_seats272
registered321,174,327
turnout60.49% ( 5.22pp)
image1
leader1Morarji Desai
party1JP
last_election120.33%, 51 seats
seats1**295**
seat_change1209
popular_vote1**78,062,828**
percentage1**41.32%**
swing120.99pp
image2
leader2Indira Gandhi
party2Indian National Congress (R)
last_election243.68%, 352 seats
seats2154
seat_change2198
popular_vote265,211,589
percentage234.52%
swing29.16pp
image3
leader3Puchalapalli Sundarayya
party3Communist Party of India (Marxist)
last_election35.12%, 25 seats
seats322
seat_change33
popular_vote38,113,659
percentage34.29%
swing30.83pp
map_imageWahlergebnisse Indien 1977.svg
map_captionResults by constituency
titlePrime Minister
posttitlePrime Minister after election
before_electionIndira Gandhi
before_partyIndian National Congress (R)
after_electionMorarji Desai
after_partyJanata Party
alliance1JP+LF
alliance2INC (R)+
alliance3JP+LF

General elections were held in India between 16 and 20 March 1977 to elect the members of the sixth Lok Sabha. The elections took place during the Emergency period, which expired on 21 March 1977, shortly before the final results were announced.

The elections resulted in a heavy defeat for the Indian National Congress (R), with the incumbent Prime Minister and INC(R) party leader Indira Gandhi losing her seat in Rae Bareli, while her son Sanjay lost his seat in Amethi. An attempt at an auto-coup failed and Morarji Desai of the Janata Party took office as the first non-Congress Prime Minister on 24 March. The call for restoration of democracy by revoking the Emergency is considered to be a major reason for the sweeping victory for the opposition Janata Alliance, At 81, Desai became the oldest man to be elected Prime Minister of India.

Background

The sixth general elections, which were conducted for 542 seats in single-member constituencies, represented 27 Indian states and union territories. These 542 constituencies remained same until 2004 Indian general elections for the 14th Lok Sabha.

The Emergency declared by the Indira Gandhi led Congress(R) government was the core issue in the 1977 elections. Civil liberties were suspended during the national emergency from 25 June 1975 to 21 March 1977 and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi assumed vast powers.

Gandhi had become unpopular for her decision and paid for it during the elections. On 18 January, Gandhi called for fresh elections and released some political prisoners. Many remained in prison until she was ousted from office and a new prime minister took over. On 20 January, four opposition parties, the Indian National Congress (Organisation), the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the Bharatiya Lok Dal and the Praja Socialist Party, decided to fight the elections under a single banner called the Janata alliance. The alliance used the symbol allocated to Bhartiya Lok Dal as their symbol on the ballot papers.

The Janata Alliance reminded voters of the excesses and human rights violations during the Emergency, like compulsory sterilisation and imprisonment of political leaders. The Janata campaign said the elections would decide whether India would have "democracy or dictatorship." The Congress(R) looked jittery. Agriculture and Irrigation Minister Babu Jagjivan Ram quit the party in the first week of February; other notable Congress(R) stalwarts who crossed the floor with Jagjivan Ram before the election were Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna and Nandini Satpathy.

Results

The elections in India's largest state Uttar Pradesh, historically a Congress(R) stronghold, turned against Gandhi. Dhanagare says the structural reasons included the emergence of a strong and united opposition, disunity and weariness within the Congress(R), an effective opposition and the failure of Gandhi in controlling the mass media, which was under censorship during the Emergency. The structural factors allowed voters to express their grievances, notably their resentment of the emergency and its authoritarian and repressive policies. One grievance often mentioned was the 'Nasbandi' (vasectomy) campaign in rural areas. The middle class also emphasised on the curbing of freedom of speech throughout the country.

Meanwhile, Congress(R) hit an all-time low in West Bengal, according to the Gangulys, because of the state-sponsored anti-Communist violence against the cadres of CPI(M) & Naxalites by the government of Siddhartha Shankar Ray, whose legitimacy was questionable, poor discipline and factionalism among Congress(R) activists as well as numerous defections that weakened the party. Opponents emphasised the issues of corruption within the Congress(R) and appealed to a deep desire by the voters for fresh leadership.Mira Ganguly and Bangendu Ganguly, "Lok Sabha Election, 1977: The West Bengal Scene," Political Science Review (1979) 18#3 pp 28–53 The Congress(R), however, did well in southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. The results were mixed in the western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, although the Janata alliance won all the seats in Mumbai.

Results by state

State/Union TerritorySeatsJNPINCLFTOTH[Andhra Pradesh](1977-indian-general-election-in-andhra-pradesh)42Arunachal Pradesh2Assam14[Bihar](1977-indian-general-election-in-bihar)54Goa Daman & Diu2[Gujarat](1977-indian-general-election-in-gujarat)26Haryana10Himachal Pradesh4[Jammu & Kashmir](1977-indian-general-election-in-jammu-and-kashmir)6Karnataka28[Kerala](1977-indian-general-election-in-kerala)20Madhya Pradesh40Maharashtra48Manipur2Meghalaya2Mizoram1Nagaland1Orissa21Punjab13Rajasthan25Sikkim1[Tamil Nadu](1977-indian-general-election-in-tamil-nadu)39Tripura2Uttar Pradesh85West Bengal42Andaman & Nicobar Islands1Chandigarh1Dadra & Nagar Haveli1National Capital Territory of Delhi7Lakshadweep1Pondicherry1Total542
Janata Party}}"Indian National Congress (R)}}"Left Front}}"Other}}"
1Indian National Congress (R)}}; color:black;"4100
0101
3Indian National Congress (R)}}; color:black;"1001
Janata Party}}; color:white;"52002
0101
Janata Party}}; color:white;"161000
Janata Party}}; color:white;"10000
Janata Party}}; color:white;"4000
0303
2Indian National Congress (R)}}; color:black;"2600
0Indian National Congress (R)}}; color:black;"1154
Janata Party}}; color:white;"37102
19Indian National Congress (R)}}; color:black;"2036
0Indian National Congress (R)}}; color:black;"200
0101
000Other}}; color:black;"1
000Other}}; color:black;"1
Janata Party}}; color:white;"15411
301Other}}; color:black;"9
Janata Party}}; color:white;"24100
0Indian National Congress (R)}}; color:black;"100
0143Other}}; color:black;"22
1100
Janata Party}}; color:white;"85000
153Left Front}}; color:white;"231
0Indian National Congress (R)}}; color:black;"100
Janata Party}}; color:white;"1000
0Indian National Congress (R)}}; color:black;"100
Janata Party}}; color:white;"7000
0Indian National Congress (R)}}; color:black;"100
000Other}}; color:black;"1
Janata Party}}; color:white;"**295**Indian National Congress (R)}}; color:black;"**154**Left Front}}; color:white;"**36**Other}}; color:black;"**57**

Notes:

  • The results for presented above are party-wise, not alliance-wise.
  • Party abbreviations:
    • JNP – Janata Party
    • INC(R) – Indian National Congress (R)
    • LFT – Left Front (comprising CPI(M), CPI, RSP, and AIFB)
    • OTH – Others (includes parties and independents not belonging to any of the above groups)

Andhra Pradesh

Indian National Congress}};"**INC**Janata Party}};"**JNP**

Arunachal Pradesh

Indian National Congress}};"**INC**Independent}};"**IND**

Assam

Indian National Congress}};"**INC**Janata Party}};"**JNP**Independent}};"**IND**

Bihar

Janata Party}};"**JNP**Independent}};"**IND**Jharkhand Party}};"**JKP**

Goa, Daman & Diu

Indian National Congress}};"**INC**Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party}};"**MAG**

Gujarat

Janata Party}};"**JP**Indian National Congress}};"**INC**

Haryana

Janata Party}};"**JP**

Himachal Pradesh

Janata Party}};"**JP**

Jammu & Kashmir

Indian National Congress}};"**INC**Jammu & Kashmir National Conference}};"**JKNC**Independent}};"**IND**

Karnataka

Indian National Congress}};"**INC**Janata Party}};"**JP**

Kerala

Indian National Congress}};"**INC**Communist Party of India}};"**CPI**Indian Union Muslim League}};"**IUML**Kerala Congress}};"**KEC**Revolutionary Socialist Party (India)}};"**RSP**

Maharasthra

Indian National Congress}};"**INC**Janata Party}};"**JP**Peasants and Workers Party of India}};"**PWPI**Communist Party of India (Marxist)}};"**CPI(M)**Republican Party of India (Khobragade)}};"**RPK**

Manipur

Indian National Congress}};"**INC**

Meghalaya

Indian National Congress}};"**INC**Independent}};"**IND**

Mizoram

Independent}};"**IND**

Nagaland

Others}};"**UDF**

Orissa

Janata Party}};"**JP**Indian National Congress}};"**INC**Communist Party of India (Marxist)}};"**CPI(M)**Independent}};"**IND**

Punjab

Shiromani Akali Dal}};"**SAD**Janata Party}};"**JP**Communist Party of India (Marxist)}};"**CPI(M)**

Rajasthan

Janata Party}};"**JP**Indian National Congress}};"**INC**

Sikkim

Indian National Congress}};"**INC**

Lok Sabha by-elections

#YearConstituencyState/UTPrevious MPReasonElected MP123456789101112
1978NandyalAndhra PradeshNeelam Sanjiva ReddyResignedPendekanti Venkatasubbaiah
WarangalS. B. GiriDeathG. M. Rao
SamastipurBiharKarpoori ThakurResignedAjit Kumar Mehta
KarnalHaryanaB. D. SharmaResignedM. Singh
ChikmagalurKarnatakaD. B. ChandregowdaResignedIndira Gandhi
Outer ManipurManipurYangmaso ShaizaResignedKaiho
AzamgarhUttar PradeshRam Naresh YadavDeclared VoidMohsina Kidwai
FatehpurBashir AhmedDeathLiaquat Husain
1979SecunderabadAndhra PradeshM. M. HashimResignedP. Shiv Shankar
SiddipetGaddam VenkatswamyResignedNandi Yellaiah
SidhiMadhya PradeshSurya Narayan SinghDeathR. N. Singh
KhandwaParmanand GovindjiwalaDeathKushabhau Thakre

Aftermath

It was not clear if Indira would accept the election results. Although she publicly claimed she would "abide" by the results, behind the scenes, she fired Military Intelligence Head Mani Mishra in favour of loyalist Kashmiri Hardayal Kaul. The INC(R) and senior military officers held several meetings in New Delhi, raising suspicions. Chief of the Army Staff T.N. Raina (who had only been appointed because Indira had superseded senior officers to appoint him) was invited for a discussion by Indira and Sanjay Gandhi. Sanjay reportedly told Raina "There are about 300 districts in the country. One infantry platoon is sufficient to control each district... Thus we can control India by deploying 300 platoons or about 25 infantry battalions; a mere three or four divisions. The party [the Congress], supported by paramilitary forces and the police, can deal with other administrative details." Although Indira agreed with Sanjay's plan, Raina refused to follow the plan, despite noting Sanjay's assumptions were "mathematically correct".

Notes

References

References

  1. [http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/INDIA_1977_E.PDF India] Inter-Parliamentary Union
  2. "INDIA".
  3. (2004-03-28). "How Amethi became a Gandhi bastion". The Times of India.
  4. M.R. Masani, "India's Second Revolution," ''Asian Affairs'' (1977) 5#1 pp 19–38.
  5. "General Election of India 1977, 6th Lok Sabha". Election Commission of India.
  6. [https://www.freepressjournal.in/webspecial/from-fpj-archives-emergency-impact-indira-gandhi-loses-elections-india-gets-first-non-gandhi-pm From FPJ Archives: Emergency impact - Indira Gandhi loses elections, India gets first non-Gandhi PM] {{Webarchive. link. (3 September 2019 The Free Press Journal, 25 June 2019)
  7. "INKredible India: The story of 1977 Lok Sabha election - All you need to know".
  8. D.N. Dhanagare, "Sixth Lok Sabha Election in Uttar Pradesh – 1977: The End of the Congress Hegemony," ''Political Science Review'' (1979) 18#1 pp 28–51
  9. Christophe Jaffrelot. (2020). "India's First Dictatorship".
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