The 1952 Coorg Legislative Assembly election was held to constitute the Coorg Legislative Assembly, electing members of legislature for 18 constituencies of the erstwhile Indian State of Coorg. It took place on 27 March 1952, and a total of 87,947 people voted 24 out of 60 candidates to power. This was the only election to the assembly before the state was merged into Mysore (later renamed as Karnataka) as per the States Reorganisation Act in 1956.
Constituencies A total of 24 seats were up for election from 18 constituencies; six two-member constituencies and twelve single-member constituencies. No seats were reserved for Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes.
Contestants Sixty candidates contested the election. The Indian National Congress presented candidates in all 24 constituencies. There were also 34 independent candidates. The Thakkadi Party, which campaigned against merger into Mysore State, contested as independents. The Thakkadi Party was led by Pandyanda Belliappa, a veteran Gandhian. A third force in the election was the Communist Party of India, that only presented two candidates (C.B. Monniah in Hudikeri and B.N. Kuttappa in Siddapur). No female candidates were in the fray.
Results The Indian National Congress (INC) emerged victorious, winning 15 out of the 24 seats. The INC leader C. M. Poonacha won his seat from the Berriathnad constituency, with 1,969 votes (71.37% of the votes polled in the constituency). Nine independent candidates won the remaining seats. Belliappa won his seat Ammathi Nad with 1,667 votes (57.25% of votes polled). INC candidates got 55.54% of the votes polled statewide, independents 42.88% and the two communist candidates 1.58%. The candidate with the highest percentage of votes polled in his favour was G. Lingarajayya, the INC candidate in Fraserpet, who polled 2,375 votes (71.64%).
Members of the Coorg Legislative Assembly, 1952
Keys:
No. Constituency Name of elected MLA Party affiliation1 Sanivarasanthe P. K. Chennayya Indian National Congress K. Mallappa Indian National Congress 2 Somwarpet North C. K. Kalappa Indian National Congress 3 Somwarpet South H. T. Muthanna Independent 4 Fraserpet G. Lingarajayya Indian National Congress 5 Sunticoppa Gundugutti Manjanathaya Indian National Congress P. Lakha Indian National Congress 6 Mercara Town B. S. Kushalappa Indian National Congress 7 Murnad C. A. Mandanna Indian National Congress 8 Mercara Nad P. D. Subbaiah Indian National Congress 9 Srimangala Nad K. P. Karumbayya Independent G. Subbaiah Independent 10 Hudikeri K. K. Ganapathy Independent 11 Berriath Nad C. M. Poonacha Indian National Congress12 Ponnampet Nad Yeravara Belli Indian National Congress P. Nanamaya Indian National Congress 13 Virajpet Town N. G. Ahamed Independent 14 Virajpet Nad Harijan Nanja Independent P. C. Uthayya Independent 15 Ammathi Nad Pandyanda Belliappa Independent 16 Siddapur Bettakurubara Kala Indian National Congress Muruvanda Machaiah Indian National Congress 17 Napoklu Nad A. C. Thimmaiah Independent 18 Bhagamandala Nad Konana Devaiah Indian National Congress
After the election, Poonacha formed a two-member cabinet, consisting of himself as chief minister and Kuttur Mallapa (elected to the assembly from the Sanivarasanthe constituency) as home minister.
See also
1951–52 elections in India 1952 Mysore Legislative Assembly election 1957 Mysore Legislative Assembly election
References