The missing lines explain how the members of the Constituent Assembly…

Another, and scarcely less serious, problem faced by the new nation was that of the princely states. As one contemporary observer remarked, some maharajas now began "to luxuriate in wild dreams of independent power in an India of many partitions". The members of the Constituent Assembly were not elected on the basis of universal franchise. The Constituent Assembly that came into being was dominated by one party: the Congress. But the League chose to boycott the Constituent Assembly, pressing its demand for Pakistan with a separate constitution.

The missing lines explain how the members of the Constituent Assembly were chosen. Which of the following chose them?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 2

The correct answer is Option (2) → The Provincial Legislatures

Option (1) The Viceroy's Executive Council — Incorrect. The Viceroy's Council was the British government's executive in India. It had no part in picking the Assembly's members.

Option (2) The Provincial Legislatures — Correct. Provincial elections were held in 1945-46, and the Provincial Legislatures then chose the representatives to the Constituent Assembly.

Option (3) The Congress Working Committee — Incorrect. The Congress came to dominate the Assembly, but its Working Committee did not choose the members.

Option (4) Voters with property, in a direct election — Incorrect. The members were not elected directly by any voters. They were chosen by the Provincial Legislatures.

NCERT (2026-27): “1.1 The making of the Constituent Assembly
The members of the Constituent Assembly were not elected on the basis of universal franchise. In the winter of 1945-46 provincial elections were held in India. The Provincial Legislatures then chose the representatives to the Constituent Assembly.”

“The Constituent Assembly that came into being was dominated by one party: the Congress. The Congress swept the general seats in the provincial elections, and the Muslim League captured most of the reserved Muslim seats. But the League chose to boycott the Constituent Assembly, pressing its demand for Pakistan with a separate constitution. The Socialists too were initially unwilling to join, for they believed the Constituent Assembly was a creation of the British, and therefore incapable of being truly autonomous. In effect, therefore, 82 per cent of the members of the Constituent Assembly were also members of the Congress.”