Page 65 - Leap of Faith inside pages with cover (1)

Democracy Marches Ahead Chapter 3

Delimita on Act, 1952 had increased the seats in Lok
Sabha (House of the People) from 489 to 493 through
Final Order 1. But no elec on took place on the basis of its
order as the States Reorganiza on Act, 1956 was enacted
a few months before the Second General Elec ons.

The first ini a ve to resolve the contradic on between a
growing popula on and the ceiling imposed by the
Cons tu on on the strength of the House of People was
taken as early as 1952. While the Cons tu on's originally
imposed a limit of 500 members under Ar cle 81 (1) (a)
was allowed to remain for the me being, the dictum of
having not less than one member for every 75,000 of
popula on under Ar cle 81 (1) (b) was omi ed through
the Cons tu on (Second Amendment) Act, 1952 enacted
on May 1, 1953. A similar amendment of Ar cle 171 (1)
pertaining to representa on ra o in legisla ve
Ballot boxes in a polling station assemblies was carried through Sec on 9 of the
Cons tu on (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956 enacted on
India 1951-52 (1955) contains (vide its Chapter XXVI) a September 11, 1956.
number of important recommenda ons, 18 to be precise,
for legisla ve ac on by the Parliament. On August 5, 1955 India's Second General Elec ons in 1957 were as historic
as the First. The passage of the States Reorganiza on Act,
the then Minister of Law and Minority Affairs viz. C.C.
1956 on the eve of the elec on led to redrawing the
Biswas informed the Lok Sabha that the government had
boundaries of various states. The legisla on led to radical
decided to accept 11 recommenda ons en rely and
readjustment of administra ve machinery and extensive
three par ally. This set the scene for several amendments
revision of cons tuencies in those states. Even as
in the Representa on of the People Acts, 1950 and 1951
influen al members of the intelligentsia advocated
during the year 1956.
postponement of the elec ons for a year, and extending
Fixing the popula on to representa on ra o has the life of the legislature by amending the Cons tu on,
remained a complex issue. Ar cle 82 of the Cons tu on the Elec on Commission strongly opposed such
of India provides for delimita on of cons tuencies a er sugges ons, arguing that it would set a bad precedent. It,
popula on figures of the fresh decennial census became therefore, decided to go ahead with the elec ons before
available. A Delimita on Commission set up under the term of the First Lok Sabha expired.

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