Department of State Intelligence Brief Number 1181

DECLASSIFIED STATE DEPT. LTR. 11-14-13 DEPARTMENT OF STATE CONPIDENTIAL Project NLT 83-10 SECURITY INF ORMATI By NLT- HC NARS, Date. 11-21-13 DELO Intelligence Brief No. 1181 Date: June 17, 1952 Office of Intelligence Research INDIA'S FIRST GENERAL ELECTIONS AND THEIR RESULTS The first nation-wide general elections held in India since independence demonstrated (1) a significant decline in the political potentinl of the Congress Party since 1947; (2) the complete absence from the Indian political scene of a strong moderate opposition party; (3) the increasing strength of the Communist Party, particularly in southern India; (4) the diminished political appeal which religious and econfomic conservatism and communalism now have among the Indian people; (5) the practicality of holding free elections even in an educationally backward and politically immature country; and (6) the reality of Indian democracy, as evidenced by the enthusiastic participa- tion of the electorate and the impartial administration of the elections by the Congress government. Approximately 100,000,000 out of an electorate of 170,000,000 the largest electorate in the history of elections voted for candidates to fill 497 seats in the House of the People (the lower house of the Indian Parliament) and 3,823 seats in 22 state legislatures. The Congress Party: Although the Congress Party won 363 (74 per- cent) of the seats in the House of the People and majorities in all but four of the state legislatures, it obtained only about 45 percent of the popular vote. Moreover, many Congress victories were due as much to the disunity of the opposition as to its own strength. The future course of Indian history will depend largely on the Congress' ability (1) to over- come its own weaknesses before the next elections, which in the normal course will be held five years hence; and (2) to provide a significant improvement in the economic condition of the Indian people. Although the Congress is still the only party conceivably equipped to attack India's many grave economic and political problems, it has serious internal tensions and its political vigor has declined since independence. and AND is E HIS IS AN INTELLIGENCE REPORT AND NOT A STATEMENT OF DEPARTMENTAL POLICY This is an Abstract of IR-5852 which is usa CONF FIDENTIAL available to those who wish greater detail. SECURITY INFORMATION Copy No. .24