In January 1950, the Election Commission of India was established, with Sukumar Sen appointed as the first Chief Election Commissioner. The country eagerly anticipated its first general elections, which were expected to take place in 1950.
However, the Election Commission soon realized that conducting a free and fair election in a country as vast as India would pose significant challenges. Delimitation, the process of drawing electoral constituency boundaries, and preparing accurate electoral rolls, the list of eligible voters, proved to be time-consuming tasks. Upon publishing the first draft of the rolls, it became evident that the names of nearly 40 lakh women were not properly recorded. They were simply listed as "wife of..." or "daughter of...". In response, the Election Commission refused to accept these entries and ordered revisions and necessary deletions.
Preparing for the first general election became a monumental undertaking, unparalleled in its scale. With approximately 17 crore eligible voters, tasked with electing around 3,200 Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) and 489 Members of the Lok Sabha, it was clear that special measures were needed. Only 15 percent of the eligible voters were literate, necessitating the implementation of a unique method of voting. The Election Commission trained over 3 lakh officers and polling staff to conduct the elections, ensuring the smooth execution of this historic event. |
