Page 67 - Leap of Faith Vol - 2

Democracy Marches Ahead Chapter 3

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 Reorganisa on Act, 1956 was enacted a few
months before the Second General Elec ons were due.

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
The Report on the First General Elec ons was published September 11, 1956.
in 1955. Therein, the Elec on Commission had made 18
recommenda ons. On August 5, 1955 the then Minister India's Second General Elec ons in 1957 were as historic
as the First. The passage of the States Reorganisa on Act,
of Law and Minority Affairs viz. C.C. Biswas informed the
1956 on the eve of the elec ons led to redrawing the
Lok Sabha that the government had decided to accept 11
boundaries of various states. The legisla on resulted in
recommenda ons en rely and three par ally. This set
radical readjustment of administra ve machinery and
the scene for several amendments in the Representa on
extensive revision of cons tuencies in those states. Even
of the People Acts, 1950 and 1951 during the year 1956.
as influen al members of the intelligentsia advocated
Fixing the popula on to representa on ra o has deferment of the elec ons for a year, and extending the
remained a complex issue. Ar cle 82 of the Cons tu on of term of the legislatures by amending the Cons tu on, the
India provides for delimita on of cons tuencies a er Elec on Commission strongly opposed such sugges ons,
popula on figures of the every decennial census became arguing that it would set a bad precedent. The
available. A Delimita on Commission set up under Commission, therefore, decided to go ahead with the
Delimita on Act, 1952 had increased the seats in Lok elec ons before the term of the First Lok Sabha expired.

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