Madras Presidency legislative assembly election, 1946
Encyclopedia
The second legislative assembly election for the Madras Presidency
after the establishment of a bicameral legislature by the Government of India Act of 1935
was held in 1946. The election was held after 6 years of Governor's rule starting from 1939, when the Indian National Congress
government of C. Rajagopalachari
resigned protesting Indian involvement in World War II
. This was the last election held in the presidency - after Indian independence
in 1947, the presidency became the Madras state
. The election was held simultaneously with that of the Legislative Council
. The Congress swept the polls by winning 163 out of 215 seats. The years after this election saw factionalism in Madras Congress party with divisions across regional (mainly Tamil and Andhra) and communal (Brahman
and non-Brahman) lines. Competition among T. Prakasam (Andhra Brahman), C. Rajagopalachari
(Tamil Brahman) and K. Kamaraj
(Tamil non-Brahman) resulted in the election of Prakasam as the Chief Minister initially. But he was later defeated by Omandur Ramaswamy Reddiar (Tamil non-Brahman) with Kamaraj's support. In turn, Reddiar himself was ousted to make way for P. S. Kumaraswamy Raja
(Tamil non-Brahman) with the support of Kamaraj.
resigned in October 1939, protesting India's involvement in the Second World War. The Presidency came under the direct rule of the Governor on 30 October 1939, according to Section 93 of the Government of India Act of 1935. It was extended two times on 15 February 1943 and on 29 September 1945 by the proclamation of the Governor. The Labour
government headed by Clement Attlee
came to power in the United Kingdom
in July 1945. It was more sympathetic to the cause of Indian Independence Movement. Indian viceroy Lord Wavell
, proposed a plan to break the constitutional deadlock. Called the "Wavell plan", it resulted in the release of all Congress political prisoners and called for the repeal of Section 93 and for fresh elections to be held. The Congress agreed to resume its participation in the electoral process and elections were scheduled for 1946.
(Rajaji) and K. Kamaraj
for the leadership of Madras provincial Congress. Rajaji had quit the Congress on 15 July 1942 over differences with Congress leaders on issues related to Pakistan
. After his departure, the Tamil Nadu Congress leadership was firmly in the hands of Kamaraj, who enjoyed enormous popularity in the Tamil region of the Madras Presidency. Rajaji re-entered Congress again in mid-1945. His return was much appreciated by Congress high command as they felt the Presidency needed his service greatly. Sathyamurthy was dead, Prakasam's popularity was confined to the Andhra region and Kamaraj was very young. Rajaji's claim to leadership found strong support in a Provincial Congress Committee meeting held in Tirupparankundram on 31 October 1945. To counter him, Kamaraj aligned himself with leaders like C. N. Muthuranga Mudaliar
and M. Bhaktavatsalam
. The Congress high command sent Asaf Ali
to Madras in an effort to mediate between the pro- and anti-Rajaji factions. Kamaraj and Mudaliar wrote to the Congress high command protesting its interference in local politics and its preference of Rajaji. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
felt it would be good for Rajaji to enter the Central Assembly
. But Rajaji was interested in provincial politics and he wanted to contest from Madras University constituency. In summary, the Congress high command's contention that Madras Presidency Congress would be leaderless without Rajaji was not well received by Kamaraj and others and they were not willing to accept that it was acting purely in the interests of the province.
After visiting Madras to participate in the silver jubilee celebrations of the Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha (Institution for the propagation of Hindi in South India) during January 1946, Gandhi wrote an article in the Harijan supporting Rajaji's candidacy. The article titled "Curious" had a reference to a "clique" in Madras Congress against Rajaji. He concluded the article by saying,
The article led to a huge controversy in Madras province and Gandhi received several telegrams and letters condemning his article. Some even threatened to fast if he did not withdraw the word "clique". However, Gandhi did not relent and withdraw his comments. On 12 February 1946, Kamaraj resigned from the Tamil Nadu Congress Parliamentary Board. Displeased with the controversy, Rajaji withdrew from active politics. Patel, who had worked hard to strengthen Rajaji's image, was enraged by his abrupt withdrawal and said,
However he accepted Rajaji's withdrawal from the Madras University constituency. This was the third time Rajaji had retired from political life, the other two occasions being in 1923 and 1936.
ḝ
which had been the main political alternative to the Congress in the Presidency went into political wilderness following its defeat in the 1937 elections. During the Anti-Hindi agitations of 1937-40, it allied itself closely with Periyar E. V. Ramasamy
and his Self-Respect Movement
. Periyar eventually took over the Justice party's leadership on 29 December 1938. On 27 August 1944, it was renamed as Dravidar Kazhagam
(DK). Under Periyar, the secessionist demand for Dravida Nadu became its main political plank. The DK boycotted the 1946 elections.
(CPI), which had been in place since 1934, was lifted. Under the leadership of P. C. Joshi, the communists decided to contest the 1946 elections. They contested 103 of the 215 seats and winning two (Railway Trade Union constituency and West Godhavari-Krishna-Guntur non-Union Factory Labour constituency).
had created a bicameral
legislature in the Madras province. The Legislature consisted of the Governor and two Legislative bodies - a Legislative Assembly and a Legislative Council
. The Assembly consisted of 215 members who were further classified into General seats and those reserved for special communities and interests:
The Act provided for a limited adult franchise based on property qualifications. Separate ballot boxes were kept for candidates of different political parties. The Congress was allotted the yellow coloured box, while the Muslim League and the Communist Party of India were allotted green and red coloured boxes respectively.
, Andhra, Mysore
and Kerala
and the Madras Congress Legislature Party (CLP) had four main factions. The factions were both regional - Tamil versus Andhra and Tamil versus Keralites and Karnataka
members; and communal - Brahmin versus non-Brahmin. The largest faction was that of the sixty to seventy non-Brahman Tamil members headed by Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president Kamaraj. The remaining Tamil members were either uncommitted or supported Rajaji, who also had the support of P. Subbarayan
. They called themselves as the Reform Group and numbered between twenty and thirty. The Andhra faction made up of 77 members, was further divided between the supporters of Prakasam and Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya
. There were also smaller Andhra factions of non-Brahmins from the Circars and non-Brahmins from the Rayalaseema
. CLP also had eighteen members from Malabar
and South Canara/Bellary.
and the National Congress leadership supported the selection Rajaji as Chief Minister of Madras Presidency. This was against the Congress policy of not re-instating leaders who had opposed the Quit India Movement
. Prakasam, Madhava Menon and Kamaraj, provincial presidents of Congress Committee in Andhra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu respectively were invited to New Delhi for negotiations. Despite Gandhi's intervention, Rajaji's election was defeated by 148 votes to 38.
Changes
B. Veeraswami resigned on 3 February 1947 and was replaced with B. Venkatarathanam as minister for Forest, Cinchona, Fisheries and Village industries on 6 February.
. Prakasam was defeated by a vote of 112 to 84. Gradually Reddiar became dissatisfied with Kamaraj's interference in his administration. When he showed signs of independence, Kamaraj ousted him by vote of no confidence in the CLP on 31 March 1949.
Changes
Subbarayan resigned on 5 April 1948, Daniel Thomas on 15 June 1948 and Kala Venkata Rao on 24 January 1949.
, the next Chief Minister who formed the Government on 6 April 1949 was believed to be a stooge of Kamaraj. His election was opposed by P. Subbarayan, Rajaji and Prakasam. Kumaraswamy Raja ruled Madras till the 1952 election when he lost his seat in Srivilliputhur constituency
.
Changes
Sanjiva Reddi resigned on 10 April 1951. Roche Victoria became minister on 2 June 1949 and Kala Venkata Rao on 26 September 1951. Some of the ministers resigned on 8 February 1952, when the results of 1952 election came out. Kumarasamy Raja, Rajan, Reddiar, Parameswaran, Sitarama Reddi, A. B. Shetty stayed on as a caretaker ministry till the next cabinet was formed on 10 April.
in December 1946. The Constituent Assembly drafted the Constitution
of the Indian Republic and also served as India's first Parliament
after India's independence on 15 August 1947. Since Congress had an overwhelming majority in both houses of the Madras legislature it was able to send a large number of its members to the Assembly.
List of Constituent Assembly members from Madras Presidency:
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
after the establishment of a bicameral legislature by the Government of India Act of 1935
Government of India Act 1935
The Government of India Act 1935 was originally passed in August 1935 , and is said to have been the longest Act of Parliament ever enacted by that time. Because of its length, the Act was retroactively split by the Government of India Act 1935 into two separate Acts:# The Government of India...
was held in 1946. The election was held after 6 years of Governor's rule starting from 1939, when the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
government of C. Rajagopalachari
C. Rajagopalachari
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari , informally called Rajaji or C.R., was an Indian lawyer, independence activist, politician, writer and statesman. Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General of India...
resigned protesting Indian involvement in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. This was the last election held in the presidency - after Indian independence
Indian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
in 1947, the presidency became the Madras state
Madras State
Madras State was the name by which the Indian districts in Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Northern Kerala, Bellary and Dakshina Kannada were collectively known as from 1950 to 1953....
. The election was held simultaneously with that of the Legislative Council
Madras Presidency legislative council election, 1946
The second legislative council election for the Madras Presidency after the establishment of a bicameral legislature by the Government of India Act of 1935 was held in March 1946. The election was held after 6 years of Governor's rule starting from 1939, when the Indian National Congress...
. The Congress swept the polls by winning 163 out of 215 seats. The years after this election saw factionalism in Madras Congress party with divisions across regional (mainly Tamil and Andhra) and communal (Brahman
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
and non-Brahman) lines. Competition among T. Prakasam (Andhra Brahman), C. Rajagopalachari
C. Rajagopalachari
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari , informally called Rajaji or C.R., was an Indian lawyer, independence activist, politician, writer and statesman. Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General of India...
(Tamil Brahman) and K. Kamaraj
K. Kamaraj
Kumarasami Kamaraj better known as K. Kamaraj was an Indian politician from Tamil Nadu widely acknowledged as the "Kingmaker" in Indian politics during the 1960s. He was the chief minister of Tamil Nadu during 1954-1963 and a Member of Parliament during 1952-1954 and 1969-1975...
(Tamil non-Brahman) resulted in the election of Prakasam as the Chief Minister initially. But he was later defeated by Omandur Ramaswamy Reddiar (Tamil non-Brahman) with Kamaraj's support. In turn, Reddiar himself was ousted to make way for P. S. Kumaraswamy Raja
P. S. Kumaraswamy Raja
Poosapati Sanjeevi Kumarswamy Raja was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu , India from April 6, 1949 to April 10, 1952. He was born in Rajapalayam in Tamil Nadu.-Early life:...
(Tamil non-Brahman) with the support of Kamaraj.
Governor's rule in Madras
The Congress government which had come to power in Madras Presidency in 1937 after winning the 1937 electionsMadras Presidency legislative assembly election, 1937
The First legislative assembly election for the Madras Presidency was held in February 1937. The Indian National Congress obtained a majority by winning 159 of 215 seats in the Legislative Assembly. This was the first electoral victory for the Congress in the presidency since elections were first...
resigned in October 1939, protesting India's involvement in the Second World War. The Presidency came under the direct rule of the Governor on 30 October 1939, according to Section 93 of the Government of India Act of 1935. It was extended two times on 15 February 1943 and on 29 September 1945 by the proclamation of the Governor. The Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
government headed by Clement Attlee
Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
came to power in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in July 1945. It was more sympathetic to the cause of Indian Independence Movement. Indian viceroy Lord Wavell
Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell
Field Marshal Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell GCB, GCSI, GCIE, CMG, MC, PC was a British field marshal and the commander of British Army forces in the Middle East during the Second World War. He led British forces to victory over the Italians, only to be defeated by the German army...
, proposed a plan to break the constitutional deadlock. Called the "Wavell plan", it resulted in the release of all Congress political prisoners and called for the repeal of Section 93 and for fresh elections to be held. The Congress agreed to resume its participation in the electoral process and elections were scheduled for 1946.
Rajaji-Kamaraj rivalry in the Congress
The years before the 1946 election saw a bitter struggle between C. RajagopalachariC. Rajagopalachari
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari , informally called Rajaji or C.R., was an Indian lawyer, independence activist, politician, writer and statesman. Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General of India...
(Rajaji) and K. Kamaraj
K. Kamaraj
Kumarasami Kamaraj better known as K. Kamaraj was an Indian politician from Tamil Nadu widely acknowledged as the "Kingmaker" in Indian politics during the 1960s. He was the chief minister of Tamil Nadu during 1954-1963 and a Member of Parliament during 1952-1954 and 1969-1975...
for the leadership of Madras provincial Congress. Rajaji had quit the Congress on 15 July 1942 over differences with Congress leaders on issues related to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. After his departure, the Tamil Nadu Congress leadership was firmly in the hands of Kamaraj, who enjoyed enormous popularity in the Tamil region of the Madras Presidency. Rajaji re-entered Congress again in mid-1945. His return was much appreciated by Congress high command as they felt the Presidency needed his service greatly. Sathyamurthy was dead, Prakasam's popularity was confined to the Andhra region and Kamaraj was very young. Rajaji's claim to leadership found strong support in a Provincial Congress Committee meeting held in Tirupparankundram on 31 October 1945. To counter him, Kamaraj aligned himself with leaders like C. N. Muthuranga Mudaliar
C. N. Muthuranga Mudaliar
C. N. Muthuranga Mudaliar was an Indian politician and Indian independence activist who served as a member of the Central Legislative Assembly He was elected President of the Tamil Nadu Congress on January 16, 1938. Mudaliar was the paternal uncle of Indian politician, M. Bhaktavatsalam....
and M. Bhaktavatsalam
M. Bhaktavatsalam
Minjur Bhaktavatsalam was an Indian lawyer, politician and freedom fighter from the state of Tamil Nadu. He served as the Chief Minister of Madras state from October 2, 1963 to March 6, 1967...
. The Congress high command sent Asaf Ali
Asaf Ali
Asaf Ali was an Indian independence fighter and noted Indian lawyer. He was the first ambassador from India to the United States. He also worked as the governor of Orissa....
to Madras in an effort to mediate between the pro- and anti-Rajaji factions. Kamaraj and Mudaliar wrote to the Congress high command protesting its interference in local politics and its preference of Rajaji. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel was an Indian barrister and statesman, one of the leaders of the Indian National Congress and one of the founding fathers of India...
felt it would be good for Rajaji to enter the Central Assembly
Constituent Assembly of India
The Constituent Assembly of India was elected to write the Constitution of India, and following independence served as the nation's first Parliament.-Nature of the Assembly:...
. But Rajaji was interested in provincial politics and he wanted to contest from Madras University constituency. In summary, the Congress high command's contention that Madras Presidency Congress would be leaderless without Rajaji was not well received by Kamaraj and others and they were not willing to accept that it was acting purely in the interests of the province.
After visiting Madras to participate in the silver jubilee celebrations of the Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha (Institution for the propagation of Hindi in South India) during January 1946, Gandhi wrote an article in the Harijan supporting Rajaji's candidacy. The article titled "Curious" had a reference to a "clique" in Madras Congress against Rajaji. He concluded the article by saying,
The article led to a huge controversy in Madras province and Gandhi received several telegrams and letters condemning his article. Some even threatened to fast if he did not withdraw the word "clique". However, Gandhi did not relent and withdraw his comments. On 12 February 1946, Kamaraj resigned from the Tamil Nadu Congress Parliamentary Board. Displeased with the controversy, Rajaji withdrew from active politics. Patel, who had worked hard to strengthen Rajaji's image, was enraged by his abrupt withdrawal and said,
However he accepted Rajaji's withdrawal from the Madras University constituency. This was the third time Rajaji had retired from political life, the other two occasions being in 1923 and 1936.
ḝ
Birth of Dravidar Kazhagam
The Justice partyJustice Party (India)
The Justice Party , officially known as South Indian Liberal Federation, was a political party in the Madras Presidency of British India. The party was established in 1917 by T. M. Nair and Theagaroya Chetty as a result of a series of non-Brahmin conferences and meetings in the presidency...
which had been the main political alternative to the Congress in the Presidency went into political wilderness following its defeat in the 1937 elections. During the Anti-Hindi agitations of 1937-40, it allied itself closely with Periyar E. V. Ramasamy
Periyar E. V. Ramasamy
Erode Venkata Ramasamy , affectionately called by his followers as Periyar , Thanthai Periyar or E. V...
and his Self-Respect Movement
Self-Respect Movement
The Self-Respect Movement was founded in 1925 by Periyar E. V. Ramasamy in Tamil Nadu, India. The movement has the aim of achieving a society where backward castes have equal human rights, and encouraging backward castes to have self-respect in the context of a caste based society that...
. Periyar eventually took over the Justice party's leadership on 29 December 1938. On 27 August 1944, it was renamed as Dravidar Kazhagam
Dravidar Kazhagam
Dravidar Kazhagam or Dravida Kazhagam was the first fully Dravidian party in India. It was a radical party formed by E. V. Ramaswamy, also called Thanthai Periyar of erstwhile Madras Presidency...
(DK). Under Periyar, the secessionist demand for Dravida Nadu became its main political plank. The DK boycotted the 1946 elections.
Participation of Communists
In 1942, the ban on the Communist Party of IndiaCommunist Party of India
The Communist Party of India is a national political party in India. In the Indian communist movement, there are different views on exactly when the Indian communist party was founded. The date maintained as the foundation day by CPI is 26 December 1925...
(CPI), which had been in place since 1934, was lifted. Under the leadership of P. C. Joshi, the communists decided to contest the 1946 elections. They contested 103 of the 215 seats and winning two (Railway Trade Union constituency and West Godhavari-Krishna-Guntur non-Union Factory Labour constituency).
Constituencies
The Government of India Act of 1935Government of India Act 1935
The Government of India Act 1935 was originally passed in August 1935 , and is said to have been the longest Act of Parliament ever enacted by that time. Because of its length, the Act was retroactively split by the Government of India Act 1935 into two separate Acts:# The Government of India...
had created a bicameral
Bicameralism
In the government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. Thus, a bicameral parliament or bicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of two chambers or houses....
legislature in the Madras province. The Legislature consisted of the Governor and two Legislative bodies - a Legislative Assembly and a Legislative Council
Madras Legislative Council
Tamil Nadu Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It began its existence as Madras Legislative Council, the first provincial legislature for Madras Presidency. It was initially created as an advisory body in 1861, by the British...
. The Assembly consisted of 215 members who were further classified into General seats and those reserved for special communities and interests:
| General | Scheduled Castes | Mohammadans | Indian Christians | Women | Landholders | Commerce and Industry | Labour and Trade Unions | Europeans | Anglo Indians | University | Backward areas and tribes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 116 | 30 | 28 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
The Act provided for a limited adult franchise based on property qualifications. Separate ballot boxes were kept for candidates of different political parties. The Congress was allotted the yellow coloured box, while the Muslim League and the Communist Party of India were allotted green and red coloured boxes respectively.
Results
Party wise break up of seats after the 1946 election:| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| Indian National Congress Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian... |
163 |
| Muslim League | 28 |
| Independent party | 7 |
| Independents Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
6 |
| Europeans | 6 |
| Communists | 2 |
| Not contested | 2 |
| Total | 215 |
Government formation
The election was concluded on 30 March 1946. A new government had to be formed before the Governor's rule lapsed on 29 April. The Congress, despite securing an overwhelming majority, was unable to agree upon a candidate for Chief Minister. Madras Presidency in 1946 was made of four linguistic regions - Tamil NaduTamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, Andhra, Mysore
Mysore State
The Kingdom of Mysore was one of the three largest princely states within the erstwhile British Empire of India. Upon India gaining its independence in 1947, the Maharaja of Mysore merged his realm with the Union of India...
and Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
and the Madras Congress Legislature Party (CLP) had four main factions. The factions were both regional - Tamil versus Andhra and Tamil versus Keralites and Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
members; and communal - Brahmin versus non-Brahmin. The largest faction was that of the sixty to seventy non-Brahman Tamil members headed by Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president Kamaraj. The remaining Tamil members were either uncommitted or supported Rajaji, who also had the support of P. Subbarayan
P. Subbarayan
Paramasiva Subbarayan was an Indian politician, freedom fighter and diplomat and was the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency, India's ambassador to Indonesia and Union Minister of Transport and Communications in Jawaharlal Nehru's government. He is the father of General P. P...
. They called themselves as the Reform Group and numbered between twenty and thirty. The Andhra faction made up of 77 members, was further divided between the supporters of Prakasam and Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya
Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya
Dr Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya ,was born in a Telugu 6000 Niyogi Brahmin family on November 24, 1880 in Gundugolanu village, Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh, was an Indian independence activist and political leader in the state of Andhra Pradesh.Pattabhi graduated from the prestigious...
. There were also smaller Andhra factions of non-Brahmins from the Circars and non-Brahmins from the Rayalaseema
Rayalaseema
Rayalaseema is a geographic region in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. It includes the districts of Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa, Kurnool. These Telugu speaking districts were part of Madras Presidency until 1953 when Telugu speaking districts of Madras presidency were carved out to form...
. CLP also had eighteen members from Malabar
Malabar District
Malabar District was an administrative district of Madras Presidency in British India and independent India's Madras State. The British district included the present-day districts of Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, Palakkad , and Chavakad Taluk of Thrissur District in the northern part of...
and South Canara/Bellary.
Opposition to Rajaji
Mahatma GandhiMahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
and the National Congress leadership supported the selection Rajaji as Chief Minister of Madras Presidency. This was against the Congress policy of not re-instating leaders who had opposed the Quit India Movement
Quit India Movement
The Quit India Movement , or the August Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table...
. Prakasam, Madhava Menon and Kamaraj, provincial presidents of Congress Committee in Andhra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu respectively were invited to New Delhi for negotiations. Despite Gandhi's intervention, Rajaji's election was defeated by 148 votes to 38.
T. Prakasam
Kamaraj and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee President K. Madhava Menon supported C. N. Muthuranga Mudaliar for the post of chief minister and were opposed to Prakasam's candidacy. Rajaji and the Reform Group observed neutrality because of a prior agreement from 1937, which stipulated that the next Congress government would be headed by a member from Andhra. This led to the election of T. Prakasam by 82 votes to 69. Difference of opinion arose between Prakasam and Kamaraj over several issues including the inclusion of Madhava Menon in the cabinet. Kamaraj supported his inclusion and Prakasam supported Raghava Menon who belonged to the pro-Rajaji group. Dissatisfaction with Prakasam's textile mill policies and his slow implementation of prohibition, lead to his fall. Prakasam was voted out of power and submitted his resignation on 14 March 1947. The Reform Group allied with other opponents of Prakasam for his ouster.T. Prakasam cabinet
Council of ministers in T. Prakasam's cabinet (1 May 1946 – 23 March 1947)| Minister | Portfolio |
|---|---|
| T. Prakasam | Chief minister, Public, Home, police, Food and Finance |
| V. V. Giri V. V. Giri Varahagiri Venkata Giri , commonly known as V. V. Giri, was the fourth President of the Republic of India from 24 August 1969 to 23 August 1974.-Early life:... |
Industries, Labour, Electricity, Co-operation, Planning and Forest |
| M. Bhaktavatsalam M. Bhaktavatsalam Minjur Bhaktavatsalam was an Indian lawyer, politician and freedom fighter from the state of Tamil Nadu. He served as the Chief Minister of Madras state from October 2, 1963 to March 6, 1967... |
Public works, Irrigation and Highways |
| T. S. Avinashilingam Chettiar T. S. Avinashilingam Chettiar Tiruppur Subrahmanya Avinashilingam Chettiar was an Indian lawyer, politician, freedom-fighter and Gandhian. He served as the Education Minister of Madras Presidency from 1946 to 1949 and was responsible for introducing Tamil as the medium of instruction... |
Education |
| K. T. Bashyam (Bashyam Iyengar) | Law, Courts, Prisons and Legislature |
| P. S. Kumaraswami Raja | Development, Agriculture, live stock and Fisheries |
| Daniel Thomas | Local administration |
| Rukmini Lakshmipathi Rukmini Lakshmipathi Rukmini Laxmipathi was an Indian independence activist and politician belonging to the Indian National Congress. She was the first woman to be elected to the Madras Legislature and the first to serve as a minister in the Madras Presidency.-Biography:Rukmini was born in Madras in an agriculturist... |
Public health and Medical |
| K. R. Karanth K. R. Karanth Kota Ramakrishna Karanth was an Indian lawyer and politician who served as the Minister of Land Revenue for the Madras Presidency from March 1, 1946 to March 23, 1947. He was the elder brother of noted Kannada novelist K. Shivarama Karanth.... |
Land revenue |
| K. Koti Reddi | Hindu religious endowments, and Revenue (other than Land revenue) |
| Vemula Kurmayya | Public information |
| B. Veeraswami | Forest, Cinchona, Fisheries and Village industries |
| R. Raghava Menon | House control, Motor transport and Food |
Changes
B. Veeraswami resigned on 3 February 1947 and was replaced with B. Venkatarathanam as minister for Forest, Cinchona, Fisheries and Village industries on 6 February.
Omandur Ramaswamy Reddiar
On 21 March 1947, Omandur Ramaswamy Reddiar was selected as the Chief minister supported by Kamaraj and the anti-Prakasam factional alliance. In 1948, Prakasam sought re-election by contesting against Reddiar, who in addition to Kamaraj, was supported by other notable Andhra members such as N. Sanjeeva Reddy and Kala Venkata RaoKala Venkata Rao
Kala Venkata Rao was freedom fighter, politician in Andhra Pradesh, India. He was former Vice-President and General Secretary of Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee .-Birth:...
. Prakasam was defeated by a vote of 112 to 84. Gradually Reddiar became dissatisfied with Kamaraj's interference in his administration. When he showed signs of independence, Kamaraj ousted him by vote of no confidence in the CLP on 31 March 1949.
Omandurar's cabinet
Council of ministers in Omandur Ramasami Reddiar's cabinet (24 March 1947 - 6 April 1949)| Minister | Portfolio |
|---|---|
| O. P. Ramaswami Reddiar | Chief Minister, Public, Hindu religious endowments and Harijan uplift |
| M. Bhaktavatsalam | Public works and Planning |
| P. Subbarayan P. Subbarayan Paramasiva Subbarayan was an Indian politician, freedom fighter and diplomat and was the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency, India's ambassador to Indonesia and Union Minister of Transport and Communications in Jawaharlal Nehru's government. He is the father of General P. P... |
Home and Legal (Law and Order) |
| T. S. S. Rajan T. S. S. Rajan Tiruvengimalai Sesha Sundara Rajan was an Indian doctor, politician and freedom-fighter who served the Minister of Public Health and Religious Endowments in the Madras Presidency from 1937 to 1939.... |
Food, Motor transport and Labour |
| T. S. Avinashilingam Chettiar | Education |
| Daniel Thomas | Prohibition, Excise, Registration and Housing |
| Vemula Kurmayya | Harijan uplift, Fisheries and Rural development |
| H. Sitarama Reddi | Industries and Information |
| K. Chandramouli | Local administration and Co-operative |
| K. Madhava Menon | Agriculture and Forest |
| Kala Venkata Rao Kala Venkata Rao Kala Venkata Rao was freedom fighter, politician in Andhra Pradesh, India. He was former Vice-President and General Secretary of Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee .-Birth:... |
Revenue |
| A. B. Shetty A. B. Shetty Attavar Balakrishna Shetty better known as A. B. Shetty was an Indian politician, philanthropist, entrepreneur and the founder of Vijaya Bank.- Biography :... |
Public health |
| S. Gurubatham | Khadi, Firka development and Cottage industries |
Changes
Subbarayan resigned on 5 April 1948, Daniel Thomas on 15 June 1948 and Kala Venkata Rao on 24 January 1949.
P. S. Kumaraswamy Raja
P. S. Kumaraswamy RajaP. S. Kumaraswamy Raja
Poosapati Sanjeevi Kumarswamy Raja was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu , India from April 6, 1949 to April 10, 1952. He was born in Rajapalayam in Tamil Nadu.-Early life:...
, the next Chief Minister who formed the Government on 6 April 1949 was believed to be a stooge of Kamaraj. His election was opposed by P. Subbarayan, Rajaji and Prakasam. Kumaraswamy Raja ruled Madras till the 1952 election when he lost his seat in Srivilliputhur constituency
Srivilliputhur (State Assembly Constituency)
Srivilliputhur is an assembly constituency located in Sivakasi Lok Sabha Constituency in Tamil Nadu. P. S. Kumaraswamy Raja, former Chief Minister of Madras State was defeated in this constituency in 1952 election.- Madras State assembly:...
.
Kumaraswamy Raja cabinet
Council of ministers in Kumaraswamy Raja cabinet (7 April 1949 - 9 April 1952)| Minister | Portfolio |
|---|---|
| P. S. Kumaraswami Raja | Public and Police |
| T. S. S. Rajan | Health, Religious endowment and Resettlement of Ex-Service personnel |
| M. Bhaktavatsalam | Public works and Information |
| H. Sitarama Reddi | Land revenue, Labout, Planning and Development |
| K. Chandramouli | Local administration and Co-operation |
| Bezawada Gopala Reddy Bezawada Gopala Reddy Bezawada Gopala Reddy was an Indian politician. He was Chief Minister of Andhra State and Governor of Uttar Pradesh .-See also:*List of Chief Ministers of Andhra PradeshMember A.I.C.C., since 1931 ; M.L.A., Madras, 1937–46 ; was... |
Finance and Commercial taxes |
| K. Madhava Menon | Education, Courts and Prisons |
| Kala Venkata Rao Kala Venkata Rao Kala Venkata Rao was freedom fighter, politician in Andhra Pradesh, India. He was former Vice-President and General Secretary of Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee .-Birth:... |
Health |
| A. B. Shetty | Agriculture and Veterinary |
| B. Parameswaran B. Parameswaran B. Parameswaran was an Indian politician and former Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly from Maduranthakam constituency as an Indian National Congress candidate in 1946, 1952, and 1962 elections. He was the grandson of Rettamalai... |
Firka development, Khadi, Cottage industries, Fisheries, Cinchona and Harijan uplift |
| C. Perumalswami Reddiar | Industries, Mines and Minerals |
| J. L. P. Roche Victoria J. L. P. Roche Victoria John Ladislaus Pitchaiya Roche Victoria K. S. G was an Indian politician from Tuticorin belonging to the Indian National Congress. He was from the Parava community and was also a businessman with ownership in several commercial ventures. During 1926-46 he was the chairman of the Tuticorin... |
Food and Fisheries |
| Neelam Sanjiva Reddy Neelam Sanjiva Reddy Neelam Sanjiva Reddy was the sixth President of India, serving from 1977 to 1982 and was the only person to be elected President of India unopposed.... |
Prohibition and Housing |
Changes
Sanjiva Reddi resigned on 10 April 1951. Roche Victoria became minister on 2 June 1949 and Kala Venkata Rao on 26 September 1951. Some of the ministers resigned on 8 February 1952, when the results of 1952 election came out. Kumarasamy Raja, Rajan, Reddiar, Parameswaran, Sitarama Reddi, A. B. Shetty stayed on as a caretaker ministry till the next cabinet was formed on 10 April.
Impact
The provincial legislatures formed by the 1946 elections elected the members (from their own members) to the Indian Constituent AssemblyConstituent Assembly of India
The Constituent Assembly of India was elected to write the Constitution of India, and following independence served as the nation's first Parliament.-Nature of the Assembly:...
in December 1946. The Constituent Assembly drafted the Constitution
Constitution of India
The Constitution of India is the supreme law of India. It lays down the framework defining fundamental political principles, establishes the structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions, and sets out fundamental rights, directive principles, and the duties of citizens...
of the Indian Republic and also served as India's first Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
after India's independence on 15 August 1947. Since Congress had an overwhelming majority in both houses of the Madras legislature it was able to send a large number of its members to the Assembly.
List of Constituent Assembly members from Madras Presidency:
| No | Name | Party | No | Name | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | O. V. Alagesan O. V. Alagesan Ozhalur Viswanatha Mudaliar Alagesan was an Indian politician and freedom fighter from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. He served as a member of the Indian Parliament from 1951 to 1957, 1962 to 1967 and from 1971 to 1979.... |
Congress | 26 | T. Prakasam | Congress |
| 2 | Ammu Swaminathan Ammu Swaminathan Ammu Swaminathan was an Indian social worker and a prominent political activist during the Indian independence movement. After independence, she served as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India and later, as a member of the Rajya Sabha from Madras State... |
Congress | 27 | Stanley Henry Prater Stanley Henry Prater Stanley Henry Prater was a British naturalist in India best known as a long-time affiliate of the Bombay Natural History Society and the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India, Bombay, as curator of both institutions for the better part of three decades, and as author of the enduring classic The... |
Anglo-Indian and Domiciled European Association |
| 3 | Madabhushi Ananthasayanam Ayyangar Madabhushi Ananthasayanam Ayyangar Madabhushi Ananthasayanam Ayyangar was the first Deputy Speaker and then Speaker of Lok Sabha in the Indian Parliament. He was Governor of Bihar also.... |
Congress | 28 | Raja of Bobbili | |
| 4 | Moturi Satyanarayana Moturi Satyanarayana Satyanarayana Moturi was an Indian freedom fighter alongside Mohandas Gandhi until 1947, a member of the Constituent Assembly of India which drafted the Indian Constitution, and a member of the Rajya Sabha until 1966... |
Congress | 29 | R. K. Shanmukham Chetty R. K. Shanmukham Chetty Sir Ramasamy Chetty Kandasamy Shanmukham Chetty KCIE was an Indian lawyer, economist and politician who served as independent India's first finance minister from 1947 to 1949... |
Congress |
| 5 | Dakshayani Velayudhan | Congress | 30 | T. A. Ramalingam Chettiar T. A. Ramalingam Chettiar Tiruppur Angappa Ramalingam Chettiar was an Indian lawyer, politician, member of parliament and businessman from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Early life:... |
Congress |
| 6 | G. Durgabai | Congress | 31 | Ramnath Goenka Ramnath Goenka Ramnath Goenka was a newspaper baron of India. He launched The Indian Express and created the Indian Express Group with various English and regional language publications... |
Congress |
| 7 | Kala Venkata Rao Kala Venkata Rao Kala Venkata Rao was freedom fighter, politician in Andhra Pradesh, India. He was former Vice-President and General Secretary of Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee .-Birth:... |
Congress | 32 | O. P. Ramaswamy Reddiyar O. P. Ramaswamy Reddiyar Omandur Ramasamy Reddiar was an Indian freedom-fighter and politician of the Indian National Congress. He served as the Premier of Madras Presidency from March 23, 1947 to April 6, 1949.-Early life:... |
Congress |
| 8 | N. Gopalaswamy Ayyangar | Congress | 33 | N. G. Ranga | Congress |
| 9 | D. Govinda Das | Congress | 34 | Neelam Sanjiva Reddy Neelam Sanjiva Reddy Neelam Sanjiva Reddy was the sixth President of India, serving from 1977 to 1982 and was the only person to be elected President of India unopposed.... |
Congress |
| 10 | Rev. Jerome D'souza Jerome D'Souza Father Jerome D'Souza, SJ was an Indian Jesuit priest, educationist, writer and member of the Indian Constituent assembly .-Early years and formation:... |
Congress | 35 | K. Santhanam K. Santhanam Shri Kasturiranga Santhanam , also known as Kumitithadai Santhanam, was an Indian politician. He was a conservative Iyengar from Tamil Nadu and acquired the appellation 'Pandit' for his erudition.... |
Congress |
| 11 | P. Kakkan P. Kakkan P. Kakkan was a Dalit leader, freedom fighter and Indian politician who served as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India, Member of Parliament, President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and in various ministerial posts in Congress Governments in the erstwhile Madras state between... |
Congress | 36 | B. Shiva Rao | Congress |
| 12 | K. Kamaraj K. Kamaraj Kumarasami Kamaraj better known as K. Kamaraj was an Indian politician from Tamil Nadu widely acknowledged as the "Kingmaker" in Indian politics during the 1960s. He was the chief minister of Tamil Nadu during 1954-1963 and a Member of Parliament during 1952-1954 and 1969-1975... |
Congress | 37 | Kallur Subba Rao Kallur Subba Rao Padma Sri Kallur Subba Rao was an Indian freedom activist and Politician.He was born in Kallur near Hindupur Tq, Anantapur District. His Father’s name is Sri Surappa and his mother's name is Puttamma. Kallur Subba Rao was born on 25 May 1897, and he was the first person who started Congress... |
Congress |
| 13 | V.C. Kesava Rao | Congress | 38 | Ullal Srinivas Mallya | Congress |
| 14 | T. T. Krishnamachari T. T. Krishnamachari - References :... |
Congress | 39 | P. Subbarayan P. Subbarayan Paramasiva Subbarayan was an Indian politician, freedom fighter and diplomat and was the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency, India's ambassador to Indonesia and Union Minister of Transport and Communications in Jawaharlal Nehru's government. He is the father of General P. P... |
Congress |
| 15 | Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer Diwan Bahadur Sir Alladi Krishnaswamy Iyer was an Indian lawyer and member of the Constituent Assembly of India, which was responsible for framing the Constitution of India. He was Advocate General of the Composite Madras State.... |
Congress | 40 | C. Subramaniam | Congress |
| 16 | L. Krishnaswami Bharathi | Congress | 41 | V. Subramaniam | Congress |
| 17 | P. Kunhiraman Nair P. Kunhiraman Nair P. Kunhiraman Nair , also known as Mahakavi P, was a renowned Malayalam poet whose works romanticised the natural beauty of his home state of Kerala in southern India and juxtaposed it with the hard realities of his life and times.Born in Bellikoth near Kanhangad of North Malabar, P., as he is... |
Congress | 42 | M. C. Veerabahu Pillai | Congress |
| 18 | M. Thirumala Rao | Congress | 43 | P.M. Velayudapani | Congress |
| 19 | V. I. Muniswamy Pillai V. I. Munuswamy Pillai Rao Sahib V. I. Munuswamy Pillai also spelled as Munisami Pillai, was an Indian businessman, politician, Dalit activist and activist of the Indian independence movement who served as the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development in the government of C... |
Congress | 44 | A.K. Menon | Congress |
| 20 | M. A. Muthiah Chettiar | 45 | T. J. M. Wilson | Congress | |
| 21 | V. Nadimuthu Pillai | Congress | 46 | Mohammed Ismail | Muslim League |
| 22 | S. Nagappa | Congress | 47 | K. T. M. Ahmed Ibrahim | Muslim League |
| 23 | P.L. Narasimha Raju | Congress | 48 | Mahboob Ali Baig | Muslim League |
| 24 | Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya Dr Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya ,was born in a Telugu 6000 Niyogi Brahmin family on November 24, 1880 in Gundugolanu village, Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh, was an Indian independence activist and political leader in the state of Andhra Pradesh.Pattabhi graduated from the prestigious... |
Congress | 49 | B. Pocker | Muslim League |
| 25 | C. Perumalswamy Reddy | Congress |