General Elections In The Punjab: Some Essential Facts And Figures

While voters in the three hill districts of the Punjab, namely, Simla, Kangra Hoshiarpur, have already been to the polls in a number of constituencies, the main election battle in a major part of the State will commence in the first week of January. Since our readers are sure to be interested in the elections, we are putting down below some data which will be of use to them in this connection.

While voters in the three hill districts of the Punjab, namely, Simla, Kangra Hoshiarpur, have already been to the polls in a number of constituencies, the main election battle in a major part of the State will commence in the first week of January. Since our readers are sure to be interested in the elections, we are putting down below some data which will be of use to them in this connection.

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In the Punjab there are about 65 lakh voters who are going to elect 125 members — one having been already elected without contest — for the State Legislative Assembly and 18 for Parliament (House of the People). There are 846 candidates, belonging to 17 parties, for the former and 101 for the latter.

As the list given below will indicate, for the 18 Parliamentary seats, the Congress Party (C) has put up 19 candidates, Jan Sangh (J) 10, Akali Dal (A) 9, Socialists (S) 5, Krishak Lok Party (KL) 5, Communists (CO) 4, Ram Rajya Parishad (R) 4, Lal Communist Party (LCO) 2, Hindu Mahasabha (H) 2, Scheduled Castes Federation (SCF) 2, Forward Bloc Marxists (FM) 2, and K. M. P. P. (K) 1. There are also 35 Independents (I).

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The contest for the State Legislative Assembly is even more keen. One seat— Ferozepore-Jhirka — has already been won unopposed by Congress. Of the remaining 125, 84 are single-member and 21 double-member constituencies. In each one of these 21, one seat is general one reserved for the Scheduled Castes.

According to party affiliation the 846 candidates are distributed as follows: Congress (C) 121, Akali Dal (A) 59, Socialists (S) 56, Communist Party (CO) 34, Krishak Lok Party (KL) 29, Jan Sangh (J) 26, Forward Bloc Marxists (FM) 29, Forward Bloc Subhasist (FS) 2, Zamindara Party (Z) 3, Lal Communist Party (LCO) 13, Lok Congress (LC) 9, K.M.P.P. (K) 10, Hindu Mahasabha (H) 3, and Ram Rajya Periahad (R) 3. The largest bloc, as in the case of candidates for Parliament, consists of Independents (I). They number 364. The reader will notice that, on an average, there are three independent candidates for every one of the 125 seats which are still to be contested.

A few dozen of the total number of 6,974 polling stations have already been put be to use. The rest will start functioning according to the date-sheet previously announced. No fewer than 70,000 ballot-boxes will be used and polling will last till January 21. All results are to be out by February 15.

We append below a chart of all the Parliamentary and State Assembly constituencies with the name and party affiliations (as notified to the authorities at the time of nominations) of candidates for every one of them. Readers can keep this list for reference and for recording results (and votes polled by each of the contestants) as announced from day to day after the polling is over.

Note: Although every care has been taken to make this list completely accurate, "The Tribune' does not accept responsibility for any mistake that may have inadvertently crypt in.