Indian general election, 1991
Encyclopedia
General elections were held in India
in 1991 to elect the members of the 10th Lok Sabha
. The result of the election was that no party could get a majority, so a minority government (Indian National Congress
with the help of left parties) was formed, resulting in a stable government for the next 5 years, under the new Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao.
fallout and the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid issue
.
report implemented by the VP Singh government gave 27 per cent reservation to the Other Backward Castes (OBCs) in government jobs, it led to widespread violence and protests across the country by the forward castes. Mandir represented the hallmark of this election, where there was a debate over the disputed Babri Masjid structure at Ayodhya, which the Bharatiya Janata Party
was using as its major election manifesto
.
The Mandir
issue led to numerous riots in many parts of the country and the electorate was polarized on caste and religious lines. With the National Front
was falling apart, the Congress managed to make the most of the polarization, by getting the most seats and forming a minority government.
while campaigning for Margatham Chandrasekar
at Sriperembudur
. The remaining election days were postponed until mid-June and voting finally took place on June 12 and June 15. Voting was the lowest ever in parliamentary elections with just 53 per cent of the electorate exercising their right to vote.
10th Lok Sabha
constituted. Congress formed the government with P. V. Narasimha Rao
to become Prime Minister. He was the second Congress PM from outside the Nehru-Gandhi family. He introduced Economic reforms in India.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1991 to elect the members of the 10th Lok Sabha
10th Lok Sabha
List of Members of the 10th Lok Sabha, elected during Indian general election, 1991 held during May-June 1991. The Lok Sabha is the lower house in the Parliament of India.-Important members:* Speaker:...
. The result of the election was that no party could get a majority, so a minority government (Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
with the help of left parties) was formed, resulting in a stable government for the next 5 years, under the new Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao.
Background
The 1991 Indian general election were held because the previous Lok Sabha had been dissolved just 16 months after government formation. The elections were held in a polarized environment and are also referred to as the 'Mandal-Mandir' elections after the two most important poll issues, the Mandal CommissionMandal commission
The Mandal Commission was established in India in 1979 by the Janata Party government under Prime Minister Morarji Desai with a mandate to "identify the socially or educationally backward." It was headed by Indian parliamentarian Bindheshwari Prasad Mandal to consider the question of seat...
fallout and the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid issue
Ayodhya debate
The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, located in Faizabad district, Uttar Pradesh...
.
Mandir Issue
While the Mandal CommissionMandal commission
The Mandal Commission was established in India in 1979 by the Janata Party government under Prime Minister Morarji Desai with a mandate to "identify the socially or educationally backward." It was headed by Indian parliamentarian Bindheshwari Prasad Mandal to consider the question of seat...
report implemented by the VP Singh government gave 27 per cent reservation to the Other Backward Castes (OBCs) in government jobs, it led to widespread violence and protests across the country by the forward castes. Mandir represented the hallmark of this election, where there was a debate over the disputed Babri Masjid structure at Ayodhya, which the Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
was using as its major election manifesto
Manifesto
A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. Manifestos relating to religious belief are generally referred to as creeds. Manifestos may also be life stance-related.-Etymology:...
.
The Mandir
Ayodhya debate
The Ayodhya dispute is a political, historical and socio-religious debate in India, centred on a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya, located in Faizabad district, Uttar Pradesh...
issue led to numerous riots in many parts of the country and the electorate was polarized on caste and religious lines. With the National Front
National Front (India)
The National Front was a coalition of political parties, led by the Janata Dal, which formed India's government between 1989 and 1990 under the leadership of N. T. Rama Rao as President and V. P. Singh as Convener. The coalition's prime minister was V. P. Singh...
was falling apart, the Congress managed to make the most of the polarization, by getting the most seats and forming a minority government.
Rajiv Gandhi Assassination
A day after the first round of polling took place on May 20, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil EelamLiberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was a separatist militant organization formerly based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in May 1976 by Vellupillai Prabhakaran, it waged a violent secessionist and nationalist campaign to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for Tamil...
while campaigning for Margatham Chandrasekar
Margatham Chandrasekar
Maragatham Chandrasekar was an Indian politician and Member of Parliament from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Personal life:...
at Sriperembudur
Sriperumbudur (Lok Sabha constituency)
Sriperumbudur Loksabha constituency is one of the largest constituency in Tamilnadu.-Assembly segments:-Before 2009:#Gummidipundi #Ponneri #Sriperumbudur...
. The remaining election days were postponed until mid-June and voting finally took place on June 12 and June 15. Voting was the lowest ever in parliamentary elections with just 53 per cent of the electorate exercising their right to vote.
1991
Lok Sabha Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India... elections 1991. Electoral participation: 55,71%. No elections held in Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the... . In Punjab elections were held in 1992. | % | 545 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bharatiya Janata Party Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament... | BJP | 20,04 | 120 |
| Communist Party of India Communist Party of India The Communist Party of India is a national political party in India. In the Indian communist movement, there are different views on exactly when the Indian communist party was founded. The date maintained as the foundation day by CPI is 26 December 1925... | CPI | 2,48 | 14 |
| Communist Party of India (Marxist) Communist Party of India (Marxist) The Communist Party of India is a political party in India. It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2011, CPI is leading the state government in Tripura. It leads the Left Front coalition of leftist parties in various states and the national parliament of... | CPI(M) | 6,14 | 35 |
| Indian Congress (Socialist) Indian Congress (Socialist) Indian Congress was a political party in India between 1978 and 1986. The party was formed through a split in the Indian National Congress. Initially the party was known as the Indian National Congress and was led by D. Devraj Urs. It broke away from the parent party in 1978 following Indira... | IC(S) | 0,35 | 1 |
| Indian National Congress Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian... | INC | 35,66 | 244 |
| Janata Dal Janata Dal Janata Dal is an Indian political party which was formed through the merger of Janata Party factions, the Lok Dal, Congress, and the Jan Morcha led by V. P... | JD | 11,77 | 59 |
| Janata Dal (Secular) Janata Dal (Secular) The Janata Dal is a Centre-left ಕನ್ನಡ: ಜನತಾ ದಳIndian political party led by former Prime Minister of India H.D. Deve Gowda.The party recognized as state party in the states of Karnataka and Kerala . It was formed in July 1999 by the split of Janata Dal party. It has political presence mainly in... | JD | 0,0 | 0 |
| Janata Party Janata Party The Janata Party was an amalgam of Indian political parties opposed to the state of emergency imposed by the government of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her Indian National Congress... | JP | 3,34 | 5 |
| Lok Dal | LD | 0,06 | 0 |
| All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is a state political party in the states of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, India. The party was founded by M. G. Ramachandran and is now headed by J. Jayalalithaa. The party headquarters is in Royapettah, Chennai, and was gifted to the party in 1986 by its... | AIADMK | 1,61 | 11 |
| All India Forward Bloc All India Forward Bloc The All India Forward Bloc is a leftwing nationalist political party in India. It emerged as a faction within the Indian National Congress in 1939, led by Subhas Chandra Bose. The party re-established as an independent political party after the independence of India... | AIFB | 0,41 | 3 |
| Asom Gana Parishad Asom Gana Parishad Asom Gana Parishad is a state political party in Assam, India. The AGP was formed after the historic Assam Accord of 1985 when Prafulla Kumar Mahanta was elected as the youngest chief minister of the country... | AGP | 0,54 | 1 |
| Bahujan Samaj Party Bahujan Samaj Party The Bahujan Samaj Party is a centrist national political party in India with socialist leanings. It was formed to chiefly represent Bahujans , referring to people from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Castes as well as Buddhists. The party claims to be inspired by the... | BSP | 1,8 | 3 |
| Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is a state political party in the states of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, India. It is a Dravidian party founded by C. N. Annadurai as a breakaway faction from the Dravidar Kazhagam headed by Periyar... | DMK | 2,06 | 0 |
| Indian Union Muslim League Indian Union Muslim League Indian Union Muslim League is a state political party in the state of Kerala, India. The chief support base of the party falls inside northern and central Kerala... | MUL | 0,3 | 2 |
| Jammu & Kashmir Panthers Party | JPP | 0,0 | 0 |
| Jharkhand Mukti Morcha Jharkhand Mukti Morcha Jharkhand Mukti Morcha is a state political party in the state Jharkhand, India. It has a strength of 2 in the 15th Lok Sabha. Shibu Soren is the president of JMM... | JMM | 0,53 | 6 |
| Kerala Congress Kerala Congress The Kerala Congress is a recognized State political party in Kerala, India. The party was founded by K. M. George in October 1964 after a group of legislators decided to break from the Indian National Congress... | KC | 0,11 | 0 |
| Kerala Congress (Mani) | KC(M) | 0,14 | 1 |
| Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party was Goa's first ruling party after the end of Portuguese colonial rule in 1961. In the first elections held after India took over the former Portuguese colony, it ascended to power in December 1963 and stayed on, till being ousted from power by defections in early... | MGP | 0,02 | 0 |
| Manipur Peoples Party Manipur Peoples Party The Manipur Peoples Party is a political party in the Indian state of Manipur. MPP was founded on December 26, 1968 by a group of dissidents from the Indian National Congress. At the February 2007 Manipur state elections, the party received 5 of the 60 seats.... | MPP | 0,06 | 1 |
| Mizo National Front Mizo National Front Mizo National Front is a regional political party in Mizoram, India. MNF emerged out of the Mizo National Famine Front, which was formed by Pu Laldenga to protest against the inaction of the Indian central government towards the famine situation in the Mizo areas of the Assam state in 1959. It... | MNF | 0,03 | 0 |
| Natun Asom Gana Parishad Natun Asom Gana Parishad Natun Asom Gana Parishad was a political party in the Indian state of Assam. NAGP was formed through a split of Asom Gana Parishad . NAGP was led by Bhrigu Phukan, who had been state Home Minister of AGP 1985-1990... | NAGP | 0,18 | 0 |
| Nagaland Peoples Council | NPC | 0,12 | 1 |
| Nagaland Peoples Party | NPP | 0,0 | 0 |
| Pattali Makkal Katchi Pattali Makkal Katchi Paattali Makkal Katchi is a Tamil political party.-History:PMK was founded by Dr. S. Ramdoss and the state president is G. K. Mani. Ramdoss had earlier worked with the Vanniyar Sangham founded by him in 1980. PMK is based amongst the Most Backward Class Vanniyakula Kshatriyas community... | PMK | 0,46 | 0 |
| Plains Tribals Council of Assam | PTCA | 0,3 | 0 |
| Pondicheryy Mannila Makkal Munnani | PMMM | 0,0 | 0 |
| Peasants and Workers Party of India Peasants and Workers Party of India Peasants and Workers Party of India , is a marxist political party in Maharashtra, India. The party was founded in 1949, having its roots from the pre-Independence period and has around 10,000 members. The influence of the party is largely limited to three districts.Member of legislative council of... | PWPI | 0,11 | 0 |
| Revolutionary Socialist Party Revolutionary Socialist Party (India) Revolutionary Socialist Party is a Marxist-Leninist political party in India. The party was founded on March 19, 1940 and has its roots in the Bengali liberation movement Anushilan Samiti and the Hindustan Socialist Republican Army. The party got around 0,4% of the votes and three seats in the Lok... | RSP | 0,63 | 5 |
| Shiromani Akali Dal Shiromani Akali Dal The Shiromani Akali Dal , translation: Supreme Akali Party) is a Sikh nationalist political parties based in Punjab. The current party to be recognized by the Election Commission of India is the one led by Parkash Singh Badal... | SAD | 0,3 | 0 |
| Shiromani Akali Dal (Simranjit Singh Mann) | SAD(M) | 0,3 | 0 |
| Shiv Sena Shiv Sena Shiv Sena , is a political party in India founded on 19 June 1966 by Balasaheb Thackeray. It is currently headed by Thackeray's son, Uddhav Thackeray... | SS | 0,79 | 4 |
| Sikkim Sangram Parishad | SSP | 0,04 | 1 |
| Telugu Desam Party Telugu Desam Party Telugu Desam Party or TDP is a regional political party in India's Andhra Pradesh state. It was founded by former Telugu film star N. T... | TDP | 2,96 | 13 |
| United Minorities Front, Assam United Minorities Front, Assam United Minorities Front, Assam is a regional political party in Assam, India. UMFA was set up in 1985 by the All Assam Minority Students Union, as a response to the militant "anti-foreigner" agitations of All Assam Students Union and the signing of the Assam Accord. The support of UMFA comes mainly... | UMFA | 0,07 | 1 |
| All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimen | AIMIM | 0,16 | 1 |
| Autonomous State Demand Committee Autonomous State Demand Committee Autonomous State Demand Committee, originally the Peoples Democratic Front, was set up as a mass organization of the Communist Party of India Liberation in order to fight for statehood for the Karbi Anlong region in the Indian state Assam. Several elections to the Lok Sabha and the District... | ASDC | 0,5 | 1 |
| Haryana Vikas Party Haryana Vikas Party Haryana Vikas Party was a political party in the Indian state of Haryana. Its president was Bansi Lal and general secretary Surender Singh.On October 14, 2004 HVP merged with the Indian National Congress.... | HVP | 0,12 | 1 |
| Janata Dal (Gujarat) Janata Dal (Gujarat) Janata Dal was a political party in Gujarat, India. It was a splinter-group of Janata Dal. This group was led by Chhabildas Mehta and Chimanbhai Patel. It was later dissolved and its leaders joined the Indian National Congress.... | JD(G) | 0,5 | 1 |
| Independents | - | 4,01 | 1 |
| Nominated Anglo-Indian Anglo-Indian Anglo-Indians are people who have mixed Indian and British ancestry, or people of British descent born or living in India, now mainly historical in the latter sense. British residents in India used the term "Eurasians" for people of mixed European and Indian descent... s | - | - | 2 |
| 534 | |||
10th Lok Sabha
10th Lok Sabha
List of Members of the 10th Lok Sabha, elected during Indian general election, 1991 held during May-June 1991. The Lok Sabha is the lower house in the Parliament of India.-Important members:* Speaker:...
constituted. Congress formed the government with P. V. Narasimha Rao
P. V. Narasimha Rao
Pamulaparti Venkata "Narasimha Rao" was the ninth Prime Minister of India . He led an important administration, overseeing a major economic transformation and several home incidents affecting national security of India. Rao accelerated the dismantling of the Licence Raj. He is often referred to as...
to become Prime Minister. He was the second Congress PM from outside the Nehru-Gandhi family. He introduced Economic reforms in India.