E-Paper
HT THIS DAY: January 19, 1952 --Sucheta Kripalani elected, Congress candidate a close second
The contest, in which six candidates took part, turned out to be mainly between one Congress and the K.M.P.P. Mrs Kripalni secured 47.735 votes as against Mrs Manmohini Sahgal ‘s 40.046 votes-a margin of 7.071 votes.
NEW DELHI- MRS SUCHETA KRIPALANI was today declared elected to the House of the People from the New Delhi constituency, being the third K.M.P.P. member returned to Parliament in the general election.
The contest, in which six candidates took part, turned out to be mainly between one Congress and the K.M.P.P. Mrs Kripalni secured 47.735 votes as against Mrs Manmohini Sahgal ‘s 40.046 votes-a margin of 7.071 votes.
The four other candidates, all independents, forfeited their deposits. They are Mr Durga Das (6,749). Mr Om Prakash Gupta (3.945), Mahant Raghbir Das (2.025) and Mr G. D. Joshi (1,657).
The entire electoral strength of the New Delhi Parliamentary constituency is 184.534 votes. Of these 102.826 votes were polled: 651 were found invalid.
The two-day vote-counting period saw several ups and downs in the chances of the K M.P.P. and Congress candidates Right from the polling day there were indications that Mrs K: pl ne: would w n. even Congressmen were doubtful about getting the important Parliamentary seat. But since last night. when it became known that the Congress candidate had bagged 21,000 votes in 100 of her 219 boxes, every body expected a close finish.
At 1-30 p.m. today, when the counting of vote of Mrs Sahgal had finished and it was known that she had polled 40,064 votes, her victory was considered certain. A large number of Congressmen, who had collected where counting took place in Old Subzimandi, began to shout Congress jais and garlanded Mrs Sahgal to hail the Congress victory.
The wrong deduction was based on the assumption, both in Congress and K.M.P P. camps, that the total poll did not exceed 85,000
In this tense moment even Mrs Kripalani conceded victory to her Congress rival. She was preparing to leave the place, having taken her defeat for granted. But her election agents persuaded her to stay till the final count.
BIG SURPRISE
The end of the count brought about a big surprise. The total polls exceeded the first day’s calculations to which all were party, which gave the K M.P candidate her initially expected victory. It was now the turn of the large number of K.M.P.P. sympathizers and supporters to shout jais. Mrs Kripalani was garlanded and taken from Subzimandi in a big procession. As the procession moved it swelled and in Paharganj, which appears to have polled heavily in favour of Mrs Kripalani, enthusiastic scenes were witnessed. As Mrs Kripalani drove slowly in a car flowers and one-rupee currency notes rained on her. Mrs Kripalant was also taken out in procession in Rajendranagar and other areas.
At night her house in New Delhi was illuminated with candlelights, and hundreds of people with garlands in ha as awaited her return.
“ PEOPLE’S VICTORY “
In an interview, Mrs Kripalani said her victory was really a people’s victory and that she would strive her best to carry the people’s voice into Parliament.
Mrs Kripalani is leaving tomorrow for Faizabad to assist her husband, Acharya Kripalani, in his election campaign.
The Chief Electoral Officer. Delhi State, today ordered resumption of counting of votes at 12-30 p.m. The counting was suspended last night when the paper-seal of one ballot-box of the Congress candidate was found broken.
The Electoral Officer today examined the presiding officer and two polling officers of the booth concerned (Booth No. 184 in Mantola-Paharganj). He said he had satisfied himself that there was no deliberate tampering with the ballot-box.
Counting of votes for the Parliamentary seat from Inner Delhi was postponed until tomorrow, for the electric lights in the counting hall failed this evening.
