Page 26 - Leap of Faith Vol - 2

Leap of Faith Journey of Indian Elections

Under the regulations of 1909 (amended in 1912) official
Oxford Union Debate on Elective Principles members enjoyed majority in the Governor General's
On May 22, 1890 the Oxford Union debated a motion pertaining to Council and non-official members in provincial councils
legislative councils in India- “is House views with regret the viz. Bombay, Bengal, United Provinces, Bihar and Orissa,
non-recognition of elective principles in the Bill now before the House of Punjab, Burma and Assam.
Commons”. e Oxford University being the hub of British Conservative
The Government of India Act, 1919 introduced the
Party, it was feared that the motion would be defeated. However,
concept of direct elections to the legislature despite on a
Surendranath Banerjea (1848-1925) tore into the arguments of Lord Hugh
limited franchise based mostly on property rights. The
Cecil and clinched the debate. e majority voted in favour of the motion. An
statute, based on Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (1918),
indirect elective principle was recognised in the Indian Councils Act, 1892.
introduced a bicameral legislature at the Centre
comprising the Governor General and two chambers
viz. Council of State and the Legislative Assembly. Edwin S.
and 20 in various provincial councils. These additional
Montagu, Secretary of State and Lord Chelmsford, Governor
members -vide Regulations under Section 1 (4)- were to be
General of India, in their report on constitutional reforms,
elected by body corporates like municipal corporations, emphasised upon the need to develop the concept of
university senates, district local boards, association of
individual voter through exposure to political training.
merchants etc. It was an indirect form of elections on
limited institutional franchise though the word “election” However, there existed no electoral law in India. Therefore,
was never used in the statute. the government used the powers allowed to it under
Sections 7 and 21 of the Government of India Act, 1919 to
The first time the word “election” was used in a statute make rules prescribing the qualification of electors, the
was the Indian Councils Act, 1909. The legislation changed formation of constituencies and methods of elections etc.
the composition of the councils in three respects –
The Government of India formulated detailed rules and
a) numbers regulations with regard to Council of States and Legislative
b) proportion of official and non-official members and Assembly as well as provincial Legislative Councils. These
c) methods of appointment or election. were updated from time to time.

“At present electorates of a general character hardly exist. Almost all are designed to represent special classes or
interests and consists of very few persons. ose which represent Muhammedans were intended to be fairly inclusive
but even those are limited to few hundred electors. e much larger electorates that will now be set up, though still a
mere fraction of the population, will be devoid of political experience. e habit of considering political issues to be
decided by a man's own judgment, of realizing their value of the proper use of a vote and judging candidates with
regard to their fitness to represent the elector's views have all to be acquired”
(An extract om Report on Indian Constitutional Reforms, 1918)

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