1937 Indian provincial elections

1937 Indian provincial elections

January 18, 1937 (1937-01-18) February 20, 1937 (1937-02-20)
1585 provincial seats contested
First party Second party Third party   Leader Jawaharlal Nehru Muhammad Ali Jinnah Sikandar Hayat Khan Party INC AIML Unionist Party Seats won 711 106 101

Provincial elections were held in British India in the winter of 1936–37 as mandated by the Government of India Act 1935. Elections were held in eleven provinces - Madras, Central Provinces, Bihar, Orissa, the United Provinces, the Bombay Presidency, Assam, the North-West Frontier Province, Bengal, Punjab and Sind.

The final results of the elections were declared in February 1937. The Indian National Congress emerged in power in five of the provinces, Bombay, Madras, the Central Provinces, the United Provinces, the North-West Frontier Province, Bihar, and Orissa. The exceptions were Bengal, where the Congress was nevertheless the largest party, Punjab, Sindh, and Assam. The All-India Muslim League failed to form the government in any province.

The Congress ministries resigned in October and November 1939, in protest against Viceroy Lord Linlithgow's action of declaring India to be a belligerent in the Second World War without consulting the elected representatives of the Indian population.

The Government of India Act 1935 increased the number of enfranchised people.^[1][2] Approximately 30 million people, among them some women, gained voting rights. This number constituted one-sixth of Indian adults. The Act provided for a limited adult franchise based on property qualifications such as land ownership and rent, and therefore favored landholders and richer farmers in rural areas.^[2] Previously only Muslims were entitled to reserved seats & separate electorates, dating back to the Government of India Act 1919. However, under the Communal Award, this benefit was also extended to include women, Sikhs, Christians, Anglo-Indians & Backward Tribes. An attempt to create a separate electorate for Dalits distinct from that of Hindus was thwarted by the Poona Pact.

Legislative Assemblies^[3]

Legislative Councils^[3]

At its 1936 session held in the city of Lucknow, the Congress party, despite opposition from the newly elected Nehru as the party president, agreed to contest the provincial elections to be held in 1937.^[4] The released Congress leaders anticipated the restoration of elections. They now had a stronger standing with their reputation enhanced by the civil disobedience movement under Gandhi's leadership.^[5] Through the elections the Congress sought to convert its popular movement into a political organisation.

The party's election platform had downplayed communalism and Nehru continued this attitude with the initiation of the March 1937 Muslim mass contact program. But the elections demonstrated that of the 468 Muslim seats the Congress had contested just 58 of them and won only 25 of those. In spite of this poor showing the Congress persisted in its claim that the party was representative of all communities.^[1] The Congress ministries did not succeed in attracting their Muslim countrymen. This was largely unintentional.^[6]

The Congress won 706 out of around 1586 seats in a resounding victory, and went on to form seven provincial governments. The Congress formed governments in United provinces, Bihar, the Central Provinces, Bombay and Madras.^[6]

The 1937 elections demonstrated that neither the Muslim League nor the Congress represented Muslims. It also demonstrated the provincial moorings of Muslim politics.^[7] The Muslim League captured around 25 percent of the seats reserved for Muslims. The Congress Muslims achieved 6 percent of them. Most of the Muslim seats were won by regional Muslim parties.^[8] None of Congress' Muslim candidates won in Sindh, Punjab, Bengal, Orissa, United Provinces, Central Provinces, Bombay and Assam.^[7] Most of the 25 Muslim seats the Congress captured were in NWFP, Madras and Bihar.^[9]

Legislative assembly results^[3]

Legislative councils results^[3]

The Congress initially refused to form governments in the provinces it had won beacuse the Government of India Act empowered the Governor to over-rule Cabinet decisions & wield control over finances. However, S. Satyamurti launched a campaign within the Congress party, convincing Mahatma Gandhi to direct Congress leaders in accepting premiership positions. On 22th June, Governor-General Lord Linlithgow issued a statement declaring the willingness of the British administration to work alongside the Congress within the ambit of the GoI Act. On 1st July, the Congress Working Committee formally took the decision to form governments in the provinces.^[10][11]

In Madras, the Congress formed the government by winning 159 seats, eclipsing the incumbent Justice Party (21 seats).^[12] The Muslim League won 9 out of the 28 seats reserved for the Muslims. On the initial refusal of Congress to assume power, Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu of the Justice Party was sworn in as Chief Minister of Madras State on 1st April by the governor John Erskine. 3 months later, the Congress staked claim & C. Rajagopalachari was sworn in. The legislatures convened under the chairmanship of B. Sambamurthy (assembly) & Dr. U. Rama Rao (council).

The Sind Legislative Assembly had 60 members. The Sind United Party emerged the leader with 21 seats, and the Congress secured 5 seats.^[14] Mohammad Ali Jinnah had tried to set up a League Parliamentary Board in Sindh in 1936, but he failed, though 72% of the population was Muslim.^[15] Though 34 seats were reserved for Muslims, the Muslim League could secure none of them.^[16] Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah of the Sindh Muslim League was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Sind with Hindu Mahasabha support on 28th April by Governor Sir Lancelot Graham. Within a year, he was replaced by Allah Bux Soomro of the Sind United Party. The assembly convened under the chairmanship of Bhojsingh Pahlajani.

The UP legislature consisted of a Legislative Council of 52 elected and 6 or 8 nominated members and a Legislative Assembly of 228 elected members: some from exclusive Muslim constituencies, some from "General" constituencies, and some "Special" constituencies.^[17] The Congress won a clear majority in the United Provinces, with 133 seats,^[18] while the Muslim League won only 27 out of the 64 seats reserved for Muslims.^[19]

The Congress refused to form coalition with the League, even though two parties had a verbal understanding to do so.^[6] The party offered the Muslim League a role in government if it merged itself into the Congress Party. While this position had a good basis it proved to be a mistake.^[1] The Congress disregarded that even though they had captured the large part of UP's general seats, they had not won any of the reserved Muslim seats, of which the Muslim League had won 29.^[20]

On the Congress' refusal to assume power, the Nawab of Chhatari from the National Agriculturist Party was sworn in on 3rd April by the governor Harry Graham Haig. 3 months later, the Congress laid claim to government formation and Govind Ballabh Pant was sworn in as the Chief Minister of United Provinces. The legislatures convened under the chairmanship of Purushottamdas Tandon (assembly) & Sir Sitaram (council).

In Assam, the Congress won 33 seats out of a total of 108 making it the single largest party,^[21] though it was not in a position to form a ministry. Sir Muhammed Saadulah of the Assam Valley Muslim Party was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Assam on 1st April by the governor Robert Niel Raid. ^[22] One year later he was replaced with Gopinath Bordoloi of the Congress. The legislatures convened under the chairmanship of Basanta Kumar Das (assembly) & Monomohan Lahiri (council).

In Bombay, the Congress won 86 out of the 175 seats, falling just short of gaining half the seats. However, it was able to draw on the support of some small pro-Congress groups to form a working majority. After the Congress initially refuse to take power, the governor Michael Knatchbull sworn in Dhanjishah Cooper of the Non-Brahmin party as the Chief Minister of Bombay on 1 April. 4 months later, the Congress staked claim for government formation and B.G. Kher was sworn in. The legislatures convened under chairmanship of Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar (assembly) & Mangaladas Mancharam Pakvasa (council).

Sikandar Hayat Khan of the Unionist Party, with support of the Khalsa National Party and Hindu Election Board was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Punjab on 5th April by the governor Sir Herbert Emerson.^[23] The assembly convened under the chairmanship of Shahabuddin Virk.

A. K. Fazlul Huq of the Krishak Praja Party formed a coalition government with the support of Khawaja Nazimuddin of the Muslim League.^[24] He was sworn in on 1st April as the Chief Minister of Bengal by the governor Sir John Anderson. The legislatures convened under the chairmanship of Azizul Huq (assembly) & Satyendra Chandra Mitra (council).

In the overwhelmingly Muslim majority North-West Frontier Province, Congress won 19 out of 50 seats and was able, with minor party support, to form a ministry.^[12] Due to the Congress' initial refusal to form government, the governor Sir George Cunningham sworn in Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum of the Muslim Independent Party as the Chief Minister on 1st April. 5 months later, the Congress laid claims to government formation & Khan Abdul Jabbar Khan, (brother of Bacha Khan) was sworn in. The assembly convened under the chairmanship of Malik Khuda Baksh Khan.

As the Congress initially refused to assume power, other people had to be sworn in. On 1st April, governor Sir Maurice Garnier Hallett sworn in Muhammad Yunus of the Muslim Independent Party as the Chief Minister of Bihar. On that day, the Maharaja of Paralakhamudi Krushna Chandra Gajapati (representing landholders) was sworn in as Chief Minister of Odisha by governor John Hubback. In Central Provinces, an interim government was formed by Dr. E. Raghavendra Rao, sworn in by the governor Sir Hyde Gowan.

In July, the Congress laid stake to government formation, thus Shri Krishna Sinha in Bihar & Bishwanath Das in Orissa were sworn in. In August Narayan Bhaskar Khare was sworn in as Chief Minister of Central Provinces. Within a year, he was sacked from the Congress & replaced by Ravishankar Shukla. The legislatures in Bihar were convened under the chairmanship of Sachchidananda Sinha (assembly) & Ramdayalu Singh (council). Legislative assemblies in Orissa & Central Provinces were chaired by Mukunda Prasad Das & Ghanshyam Singh Gupta respectively.

Jinnah took a nationalist stance and emulated the Congress's electoral campaign and appointed Muslim League Parliamentary Boards for the 1937 elections. Through this he expected to advance the party as a coalition partner for the Congress which they might need to form provincial governments. He miscalculated that the separate electorates system, with a larger electorate, would produce good results for the Muslim League.^[25] Of the 482 seats reserved for Muslims the League won just 109. The League won 29 seats in the United Provinces where it had competed for 35 out of the 66 seats for Muslims.^[7] The League's top performance was in provinces where Muslims were minorities; there it cast itself as a protector of the community.^[1] Its performance in Punjab, where it won just two of the seven seats it vied for, was unsuccessful. It performed a little better in Bengal, capturing 39 of the 117 seats for Muslims, but could not form a government.^[7]

Muslim preference was to be represented by regional parties which were allied with those non-Muslims who were not supportive of the Congress.^[26] The Congress was victorious throughout India in the open constituencies. Muslim league was confronted with the fact that Hindu majority provinces would be ruled by Hindus but Muslim league would not rule the largest provinces with Muslim majorities: Bengal and Punjab. The Congress domination over the government made the prospects of federal Muslim politicians appear dismal.^[26] Regional parties kept the League out of power in those provinces with Muslim majorities while in the Hindu majority provinces it was unwanted by the Congress.^[25] Antagonised by this rebuff the League stepped up its efforts to attract a popular following.^[27]

On 3 September 1939, Viceroy of India Lord Linlithgow declared India to be at war with Germany alongside Britain.^[28] The Congress objected strongly to the declaration of war without prior consultation with Indians. The Congress Working Committee suggested that it would cooperate if a central Indian national government were formed and a commitment were made to India's independence after the war.^[29] The Muslim League promised its support to the British,^[30] with Jinnah calling on Muslims to help the Empire by "honourable co-operation" at the "critical and difficult juncture", while asking the Viceroy for increased protection for Muslims.^[31]

The government did not come up with any satisfactory response. Viceroy Linlithgow could only offer to form a 'consultative committee' for advisory functions. Thus, Linlithgow refused the demands of the Congress. On 22 October 1939, all Congress ministries were called upon to tender their resignations. Both Viceroy Linlithgow and Muhammad Ali Jinnah were pleased with the resignations.^[32][29] On 2 December 1939, Jinnah put out an appeal, calling for Indian Muslims to celebrate 22 December 1939 as a "Day of Deliverance" from Congress:^[33]

I wish the Musalmans all over India to observe Friday 22 December as the "Day of Deliverance" and thanksgiving as a mark of relief that the Congress regime has at last ceased to function. I hope that the provincial, district and primary Muslim Leagues all over India will hold public meetings and pass the resolution with such modification as they may be advised, and after Jumma prayers offer prayers by way of thanksgiving for being delivered from the unjust Congress regime.