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In the elections to the provincial legislatures in 1937 in British India 1. only about 10 to 12 percent of the population had the right to vote 2. the untouchables had no right to vote 3. the Congress won an absolute majority in five out of eleven provinces 4. the Muslim League won more than 80 percent of the seats reserved for Muslims Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Explanation
In the 1937 provincial elections held under the Government of India Act 1935, the franchise was limited to approximately 10 to 12 percent of the population based on property, tax, and education qualifications. Statement 1 is correct as the electorate was expanded from 3% to roughly 13%. Statement 2 is incorrect; the 'untouchables' or Depressed Classes had the right to vote and reserved seats, with Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's Independent Labour Party winning 14 seats in Bombay. Statement 3 is correct; the Indian National Congress won an absolute majority in five provinces: Madras, United Provinces, Bihar, Central Provinces, and Orissa [1]. Statement 4 is incorrect; the Muslim League performed poorly in 1937, winning only 109 out of 482 reserved Muslim seats (about 22%), failing to secure a majority in any province. It was only in the 1946 elections that the League captured nearly 87% of the Muslim vote.
Sources
- [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1937_Indian_provincial_elections