The second general elections to the Lok Sabha were held between 24 February and 9 June 1957. They were held five years after the general elections of 1952, in accordance with the Constitution. They were also the first elections to be held after the States Reorganization Act of 1956.
With no other political party as big as the Congress in the country, the results were predictable. It only remained to be seen by how wide a margin the Congress would win. And win they did.
The Congress swept the polls increasing its vote base and winning a total of 371 seats out of 494 seats, thus gaining 7 more seats than in the previous election. The second largest party, the Communist Party of India – led by Shripat Amrit Dange won only 27 seats in total of the 110 seats that it contested.
The vote share of the Congress increased from 45 per cent to 47.8 per cent in these elections. Nehru worked his charisma on the masses and as in the first general elections, led his party to a comprehensive victory.
Interestingly the first ever instance of booth capturing in India was recorded during these elections in Rachiyahi, Bihar.
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