Page 74 - Leap of Faith Vol - 2

Leap of Faith Journey of Indian Elections

A peculiar feature of the first two Lok Sabhas and State orders. The reserva on, however, applies only to the
Legisla ve Assemblies had been the existence of mul - candidate and not to the voters, which makes the system
member cons tuencies. This was a legacy of the electorate patently different from that of Separate Electorate in
system under the Government of India Act, 1935. The Bri sh India.
addi onal member(s) in such cons tuencies must be from
Under Ar cle 324 (1) of the Cons tu on of India, elec on
Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe (or both) in view of pe ons (regarding doubts/disputes over results etc.)
concentra on of their popula on. For instance, in the 1
were decided by tribunals appointed by the Elec on
Lok Sabha there were 489 seats in 401 Parliamentary Commission. The Report on the Third General Elec ons,
cons tuencies; out of which 314 were one-seat, 86 were 1962 – while recommending their aboli on altogether –
two-seat and one three-seat. The two-member advocated that every elec on pe on should be filed
cons tuencies were finally split through the Two-Member directly before the High Court. The government, in
Cons tuencies (Aboli on) Act, 1961 enacted on March 9, accep ng the recommenda on, introduced the
1961. The split turned cons tuencies in a) General b) Cons tu on (Twenty First Amendment) Bill, 1966 in Lok
Reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates and c) Reserved Sabha on August 29, 1966. The Bill, on being passed by both
for Scheduled Tribes candidates. Their exact number and Houses of Parliament, was enacted as the Cons tu on
extent are subject to periodical Delimita on Commission (Nineteenth Amendment) Act on December 11, 1966.

An elderly voter casts his vote, 1962

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