Did the Poona Pact Disenfranchise the ‘Depressed Classes’? An Analysis of the 1936–1937 and 1945–1946 Provincial Elections

Sujay Biswas

Studies in Indian Politics, 2021, vol. 9, issue 2, 239-253

Abstract: This article contests the conventional view that the ‘Depressed Classes’ lost out on representation by agreeing to joint electorates in the Poona Pact. It analyses the results of the elections to the provincial legislatures in British India that took place in 1936–1937 and 1945–1946 under the Government of India Act, 1935, to concretely appraise the working of the Poona Pact. The article argues that reserved seats, primary elections and cumulative voting redeemed the ability of the Poona Pact to provide both descriptive and substantive representation for the ‘Depressed Classes’.

Keywords: Ambedkar; cumulative voting; Gandhi; joint electorates; Poona Pact; primary elections; reserved seats (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:indpol:v:9:y:2021:i:2:p:239-253

DOI: 10.1177/23210230211043025

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