Report on the first general elections in India 1951-52

The first general elections in India during 1951-52 on the basis of adult franchise attracted a good deal of interest and attention in the country as well as abroad. The organisation and the holding of the elections on such a vast scale naturally presented enormous difficulties which had to be surmounted. Although there is no provision in law re quiring the preparation of a report on the elections, the Election Commission considered it necessary and desirable, for obvious reasons, to prepare an exhaustive record of the different aspects of this remarkable administrative task.
Unfortunately, however, there has been a good deal of regrettable delay in bringing out this report. The rough frame-work was, in fact, ready by October, 1952, and was circulated to all States which were required to supply the basic data. The Forms for the statistical part of the report, Volume II, were sent to the States in May, 1953, with the same object. Some of the States found it difficult to collect the facts and figures readily and it was only in late 1954 that all necessary materials were made available.