Which among the following statements are correct about the first general elections of India?
(A) The first general elections spanned from October 1951 to February 1952.
(B) It took six months for the campaigning, polling and counting to be completed.
(C) On an average, more than four candidates for each seat fought elections.
(D) Only one-fourth of the eligible voters turned out to vote on the day of elections.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → (A), (B) and (C) only
(A) The first general elections spanned from October 1951 to February 1952. Correct. The elections had to be postponed twice and were finally held from October 1951 to February 1952. They are called the 1952 election because most parts of the country voted in January 1952.
(B) It took six months for the campaigning, polling and counting to be completed. Correct. Campaigning, polling and counting together took six months.
(C) On an average, more than four candidates for each seat fought elections. Correct. The elections were competitive: there were on an average more than four candidates for each seat.
(D) Only one-fourth of the eligible voters turned out to vote on the day of elections. Incorrect. The level of participation was encouraging: more than half the eligible voters turned out to vote, not one-fourth.
NCERT (2026-27): “Challenge of building democracy … The elections had to be postponed twice and finally held from October 1951 to February 1952. But this election is referred to as the 1952 election since most parts of the country voted in January 1952. It took six months for the campaigning, polling and counting to be completed. Elections were competitive – there were on an average more than four candidates for each seat. The level of participation was encouraging — more than half the eligible voters turned out to vote on the day of elections. When the results were declared these were accepted as fair even by the losers.…” |