1951 Jammu and Kashmir Constituent Assembly election
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All 75 seats in Jammu and Kashmir Constituent Assembly 38 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||
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Elections for the
Background
The princely state of
- Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad – Deputy Prime Minister
- Mirza Afzal Beg – Revenue
- Sardar Budh Singh – Health and Rehabilitation
- Ghulam Mohammed Sadiq – Development
- Shyam Lal Saraf – Civil Supplies and Local Self-Government
- Girdhari Lal Dogra – Finance
- Pir Mohammad Khan – Education
The Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, the party of Sheikh Abdullah, announced on 27 October 1950 its decision to convene a Constituent Assembly for the state of Jammu and Kashmir.[3]
Pakistan immediately raised a complaint in the United Nations Security Council stating that India was convening a Constituent Assembly to "ratify the formal accession of the State to India" in contravention of the Security Council resolutions.[4] India reassured all parties that the decision of the Constituent Assembly would not affect India's commitments in the Security Council.[5] The Security Council took note of the development in its 30 March 1951 resolution and reminded both the Indian and Pakistani governments of the past resolutions of the Security Council and affirmed that the decisions of the Constituent Assembly would not be binding.[6][7]
On 30 April, the Prince Regent Karan Singh issued a proclamation announcing the elections for the Constituent Assembly based on the adult franchise by secret ballot. The elections took place in September–October 1951.[5] The Constituent Assembly was to have a nominal membership of 100 members, of which 25 seats were allocated to
The election
The elections were conducted by the State's election and franchise commissioner.[9] The process of elections was highly irregular. All the 43 seats allocated to Kashmir went to the National Conference candidates, who were elected unopposed a week before the date of the elections. In Jammu, 13 candidates belonging to the Jammu Praja Parishad had their nominations rejected. Praja Parishad then boycotted the elections, alleging the Government's illegal practices and official interference. Two independent candidates dropped out at the last moment, giving a clean sweep to the National Conference.[5][10] In Ladakh, the Head Lama, Kushak Bakula and an associate won seats, as nominal members of the National Conference.[11]
Thus, the National Conference won all the 75 seats to the Constituent Assembly, which convened on 31 October 1951.[5]
Scholar
The Jammu Praja Parishad, having been denied opportunities for the democratic opposition, took to the streets. It demanded full integration of the state with India to ensure the "legitimate democratic rights of the people" against the "anti-Dogra government of Sheikh Abdullah".[12] The conflict with the Praja Parishad eventually led to the termination of Sheikh Abdullah's rule.[13][14]
Government formation
Sheikh Abdullah ministry
Sheikh Abdullah continued as the Prime Minister of the State. Two members of the erstwhile Cabinet from the
- Sheikh Abdullah – Prime Minister
- Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad – Deputy Prime Minister
- Mirza Afzal Beg
- Shyam Lal Saraf
- Girdhari Lal Dogra
Later
Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad ministry
Following intense frictions with the Jammu Praja Parishad in Jammu and the Head Lama Kushak Bakula of Ladakh, as well as ongoing frictions with the Union government, Sheikh Abdullah was dismissed from the post of prime minister by the Sadr-e-Riyasat (head of state) Karan Singh in August 1953. Abdullah was also arrested on conspiracy charges. The deputy prime minister Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad was sworn in as the next prime minister. His Cabinet consisted of:
- Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad – Prime minister
- Ghulam Mohammed Sadiq – Education
- Shyam Lal Saraf – Development
- Girdhari Lal Dogra – Finance
- Syed Mir Qasim – Revenue
Kushak Bakula was appointed as a deputy minister and he pledged his support for the new government.[16]
Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad continued as the prime minister for the remaining six-year term of the Constituent Assembly. The Assembly continued with its mission of formulating the State Constitution, which was adopted on 17 November 1956, coming into effect on 26 January 1957.
References
- ^ Das Gupta, Jammu and Kashmir 2012, p. 229.
- ^ Das Gupta, Jammu and Kashmir 2012, p. 188.
- ^ Das Gupta, Jammu and Kashmir 2012, p. 169.
- ^ Das Gupta, Jammu and Kashmir 2012, pp. 163, 185.
- ^ a b c d e Das Gupta, Jammu and Kashmir 2012, p. 186.
- ^ Das Gupta, Jammu and Kashmir 2012, pp. 168–169.
- ^ Bose, Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace 2003, p. 54.
- ^ Bose, Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace 2003, p. 55.
- ISBN 978-81-7099-711-5
- ^ Bose, Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace 2003, pp. 55–56.
- ISBN 978-1-136-66864-7
- ^ a b Bose, Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace 2003, pp. 56–57.
- JSTOR 4363413: "The agitation of the Jammu Praja Parishad in 1952-53 against the special status of the state is generally acknowledged to be the cause of Sheikh Abdullah's final breach with New Delhi."
- ^ Tillin, Asymmetry in Indian Federalism 2006, pp. 54–55: "It was partly in response to their campaign that Sheikh Abdullah began to emphasize the option of Kashmir’s independence, leading to his arrest in 1953 and the installation of a more pliant government which gave its consent to the extension of most of the Indian constitution to Jammu and Kashmir."
- ISBN 978-81-7023-355-8
- ^ Das Gupta, Jammu and Kashmir 2012, p. 209.
Bibliography
- ISBN 0-674-01173-2
- Das Gupta, Jyoti Bhusan (2012) [first published 1968], Jammu and Kashmir, Springer, ISBN 978-94-011-9231-6
- Tillin, Louise (2006), "Unite in Diversity? Asymmetry in Indian Federalism", Publius: The Journal of Federalism, 37 (1): 45–67,