United Socialist Organisation of India
Encyclopedia
United Socialist Organisation was a leftwing alliance in India
. The USOI was launched by Sarat Chandra Bose
, the elder brother of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, after his resignation from the Indian National Congress
in 1947. Bose wanted to assemble all the leftist groups in a common front. Most notably, the All India Forward Bloc
under Sheel Bhadra Yagee joined USOI. However, a minority led by Forward Bloc chairman K.M. Joglekar disagreed with AIFB joining USOI. They broke away and formed the Forward Communist Party
.
Ahead of the 1952 India
n general elections, USO comprised All India Forward Bloc
, Sarat Chandra Bose
's Socialist Republican Party, Bolshevik Party of India
, Indian National Army
, People's Movement
and others and independents. USOI came to an understand with Communist Party of India
to form an anti-Congress
front in West Bengal
. Attempts were made to involve RSP
in this front, but the negotiations ahead of the elections failed. Attempts were also made to reach agreements with Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party
and Socialist Party of India, but no agreement was possible.
In total, USO fielded 72 candidates in the West Bengal
assembly and CPI 71. For the Lok Sabha
USOI fielded 8 candidates and CPI 9. In two constituencies the front supported RSP candidates. In other constituencies the front and RSP were in contest. In constituencies where there was no front candidate, the front appealed to voters to cast their vote for KMPP or the Socialist Party.
After the election, RSP joined the front.
, who got a majority of its own in the assembly. The communists became the largest opposition party.
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...
. The USOI was launched by Sarat Chandra Bose
Sarat Chandra Bose
Sarat Chandra Bose was a barrister and Indian freedom fighter. He was the elder brother of Subhash Chandra Bose.-Early life:His forefathers had served the Afghan rulers of pre-Mughal Bengal with great distinction....
, the elder brother of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, after his resignation from the 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...
in 1947. Bose wanted to assemble all the leftist groups in a common front. Most notably, the 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...
under Sheel Bhadra Yagee joined USOI. However, a minority led by Forward Bloc chairman K.M. Joglekar disagreed with AIFB joining USOI. They broke away and formed the Forward Communist Party
Forward Communist Party
Forward Communist Party was a political party in India. FCP was formed in 1948 following a split from the Forward Bloc . In FB , the then party president K.M. Joglekar opposed the alignment of FB with the United Socialist Organisation of India. Thus Joglekar broke away and formed FCP...
.
Ahead of the 1952 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...
n general elections, USO comprised 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...
, Sarat Chandra Bose
Sarat Chandra Bose
Sarat Chandra Bose was a barrister and Indian freedom fighter. He was the elder brother of Subhash Chandra Bose.-Early life:His forefathers had served the Afghan rulers of pre-Mughal Bengal with great distinction....
's Socialist Republican Party, Bolshevik Party of India
Bolshevik Party of India
The Bolshevik Party of India was a communist political party in the India. Although the party is now defunct and doesn't contest election anymore, it is logged with the Election Commission of India as having contested the very first parliamentary elections in 1951 in India....
, Indian National Army
Indian National Army
The Indian National Army or Azad Hind Fauj was an armed force formed by Indian nationalists in 1942 in Southeast Asia during World War II. The aim of the army was to overthrow the British Raj in colonial India, with Japanese assistance...
, People's Movement
People's Movement
People's Movement may refer to:* Barbuda People's Movement, Antigua and Barbuda*People's Progressive Movement , Antigua and Barbuda* Feuguino People's Movement, Argentina*Neuquino People's Movement, Argentina...
and others and independents. USOI came to an understand with 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...
to form an anti-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...
front in West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
. Attempts were made to involve RSP
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...
in this front, but the negotiations ahead of the elections failed. Attempts were also made to reach agreements with Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party
Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party
The Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party was a socialist political party of India. Although the party is now defunct and doesn't contest election anymore, it is logged with the Election Commission of India as having contested the very first parliamentary elections in 1951 in India...
and Socialist Party of India, but no agreement was possible.
In total, USO fielded 72 candidates in the West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
assembly and CPI 71. For the 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...
USOI fielded 8 candidates and CPI 9. In two constituencies the front supported RSP candidates. In other constituencies the front and RSP were in contest. In constituencies where there was no front candidate, the front appealed to voters to cast their vote for KMPP or the Socialist Party.
After the election, RSP joined the front.
Results
The election was won by the Indian National CongressIndian 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...
, who got a majority of its own in the assembly. The communists became the largest opposition party.
| Party | No. of candidates | No. of elected | No. of votes | % |
| 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... |
236 | 150 | 2889994 | 38.82% |
| 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... |
86 | 28 | 800951 | 10.76% |
| Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party The Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party was a socialist political party of India. Although the party is now defunct and doesn't contest election anymore, it is logged with the Election Commission of India as having contested the very first parliamentary elections in 1951 in India... |
129 | 15 | 667446 | 8.97% |
| Bharatiya Jana Sangh Bharatiya Jana Sangh The Bharatiya Jana Sangh existed from 1951 to 1980, whereupon it was succeeded by the Bharatiya Janata Party, one of India's largest political parties... |
85 | 9 | 415458 | 5.58% |
| Forward Bloc (Marxist Group) 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... |
48 | 11 | 393591 | 5.29% |
| Socialist Party | 63 | 0 | 215382 | 2.89% |
| Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha The Akhil Bhārat Hindū Mahāsabhā is a Hindu nationalist political party in India. It was founded in 1915, as an alternative for Hindus who were not attracted to the secular Indian National Congress and sought to oppose the Muslim separatism of the Muslim League.-Hindutva:The Mahasabha promoted the... |
33 | 4 | 176762 | 2.37% |
| Forward Bloc (Ruikar) | 32 | 2 | 107905 | 1.45% |
| 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... |
16 | 0 | 63173 | 0.85% |
| Revolutionary Communist Party of India Revolutionary Communist Party of India Revolutionary Communist Party of India is a political party in India. The party was founded by Saumyendranath Tagore in 1934, breaking away from the Communist Party of India. During the period 1934–1938 the name of the party was Communist League... |
10 | 0 | 32859 | 0.44% |
| Bolshevik Party of India Bolshevik Party of India The Bolshevik Party of India was a communist political party in the India. Although the party is now defunct and doesn't contest election anymore, it is logged with the Election Commission of India as having contested the very first parliamentary elections in 1951 in India.... |
8 | 0 | 20117 | 0.27% |
| Akhil Bharatiya Ram Rajya Parishad | 14 | 0 | 7100 | 0.10% |
| Independents | 614 | 19 | 1653165 | 22.21% |
| Total: | 1374 | 238 | 7443903 |