Chennai (then Madras) went to the polls on March 8, 1957 to elect two members to the Lok Sabha and 10 to the State Meeting. Image exhibits voters queuing up earlier than a sales space in George City.
| Picture Credit score: The Hindu Archives
Tamil Nadu has by no means did not shock voters and ballot pundits alike. This development was evident within the first common election to the Lok Sabha. Within the first ballot held within the then Madras State (which included elements of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala) throughout January and February 1952, Congress stalwarts, together with P. Subbaroyan, Ramnath Goenka and T. Chengalvarayan tasted defeat.
For this research, seats within the current territorial limits of Tamil Nadu had been solely thought of whereas assessing the efficiency of assorted political events within the 1952 election. Although the Madras State had 75 seats, together with 13 double-member seats in a complete of 62 constituencies, solely 38 seats, unfold over 31 constituencies, had been taken under consideration as they fashioned a part of the present State.
Subbaroyan, who was Chief Minister of the Madras Presidency throughout 1926-30, misplaced to an unbiased, S.Okay. Child alias Kandaswami, by a margin of almost 17,000 votes. Goenka, a sitting MP and one of many doyens of the Indian media, was overwhelmed by V. Munuswami of the Tamil Nadu Toilers (TNT) Get together within the Tindivanam (general-member seat) constituency whereas Chengalvarayan misplaced to A. Krishnaswami of the Commonweal Get together in Kancheepuram. Despite the fact that the DMK, which was based in 1949, didn’t participate within the election then, it backed the TNT and the Commonweal Get together, led by S. Ramaswami Padayachi and M.A. Manikavelu Naicker, for having supported the Dravidian motion. In keeping with the guide The Historical past of the DMK (Quantity 1), eight profitable candidates had the backing of the celebration.
However these setbacks, it was the Congress which bagged the best variety of seats with 24. 4 seats every went to TNT and Independents. Whereas Commonweal Get together secured three, the Communist Get together of India, Ahead Bloc and the Kisan-Mazdoor Praja Get together netted one every. Among the many distinguished winners from the Congress celebration had been Okay. Kamaraj (Srivilliputtur), R. Venkataraman (Thanjavur), L. Elayaperumal (Cuddalore), P.M. Kakkan (Madurai), and Rajaji’s son C.R. Narasimhan (Krishnagiri). Within the case of non-Congress candidates, Okay. Ananda Nambiar, a veteran Left chief, emerged victorious from Mayiladuthurai and U. Muthuramalinga Thevar (Ahead Bloc – FB).
Apart from, the current Kanniyakumari (then referred to as Nagercoil) Lok Sabha constituency, which was a part of the princely State of Travancore-Cochin in 1951-52, was gained by ‘Marshal’ A. Nesamony because the candidate of Tamil Nadu Congress, which pushed for the merger of the world with the then Madras State.
5 years later, the political state of affairs had modified within the State. The DMK had determined to enter the fray. Apart from, a gaggle of dissidents within the Congress celebration, calling themselves Congress Reform Committee, had emerged. Headed by Okay. S. Venkatakrishna Reddiar, the dissidents didn’t tackle straight Okay. Kamaraj, who had by then turn out to be Chief Minister however it was an open secret who their goal was.
In 1957, there have been 34 constituencies within the State, of which seven had been double-member seats with a complete of 41 seats. Previous to the polling, Congress’ nominee – T. Ganapathy – was elected unopposed from Tiruchendur. Together with him, the celebration grabbed 31 seats. The CPI, CRC and the DMK secured two every. Whereas the FB and Socialists bought one seat every, two independents gained. Among the many new entrants to the Lok Sabha had been Okay.T.Okay. Thangamani and Parvati, each from the CPI, representing Madurai and Coimbatore, and N. Sivaraj, a stalwart of the Scheduled Castes (Chengalpattu) and an unbiased. The DMK’s first set of MPs had been E.V.Okay. Sampath from Namakkal and Dharmalingam from Tiruvannamalai. On this election too, a number one determine suffered defeat when the CPI’s P. Ramamoorthi, who was the Chief of the Opposition within the Meeting, was defeated within the Nagapattinam (common) Lok Sabha seat by the Congress by about 1.3 lakh votes.
