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1937 Punjab Provincial Assembly election

First Provincial assembly election was held in Punjab in the winter of 1936-37 as mandated by the Government of India Act 1935.

1937 Punjab Provincial Assembly election
1936-37 1946 →
175 seats of the Punjab Provincial Assembly
88 seats needed for a majority
Turnout64.23%
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Sikandar Hayat Khan Gopi Chand Bhargava Sundar Singh Majithia
Party Unionist INC KNP
Leader's seat North Punjab (Landholders) (Muhammadans) Lahore City (General-Urban) Batala (Sikh-Rural)
Seats won 98 18 13
Elected Premier

Sikandar Hayat Khan
Unionist

Background

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After the passing of Government of India act 1935, Provincial assembly was set up in Punjab. It consisted 175 constituencies. Out of these 159 were single-member constituencies and 8 were double-members constituencies. In double-members constituencies one was reserved for the Schedule Caste according to Poona Pact.[1] In double constituencies each voter had two votes to cast his vote, one for SC candidate and one for general candidate but considered as one vote to calculate voter turnout.

All 175 constituencies were reserved on the basis of religion. It was as follows:-

Constituency Type Urban Rural Total
General 8 34 42
Muhammadans 9 75 84
Sikhs 2 29 31
Special^ - - 18
Total 19 138 175

^Special constituencies (non-territory constituency) were further divided into Categories and sub-categories as follow:-

  • Women - 4
    • General - 1
    • Mohammadans - 2
    • Sikhs - 1
  • European - 1
  • Anglo-Indian - 1
  • Indian Christian - 2
  • Punjab Commerce and Industry - 1
  • Landholders - 5
    • General - 1
    • Mohammadans - 3
    • Sikhs - 1
  • Trade and Labour Unions - 3
  • University - 1

Election schedule

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The election schedule was as follows:-[2]

Election program Date
Filing of nominations 23 November 1936
Scrutiny of nominations 30 November 1936
Polling 1 December 1936
Counting 2 and 7 December 1936
Counting in Special constituencies 21 January 1937

Voter Statistics

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During 1937 election there were total 27,84,646 voters. Out of these 64.23% voters cast their votes.

26,66,149 voters were in Territorial Constituencies and 1,18,497 were in Non-Territorial Constituencies.

In territorial constituencies the highest number of voters (39,290) were in '24-Hoshiarpur West (General-Rural)' and lowest number of voters (5,496) were in '62-Tarn Taran (Muhammadan-Rural)'. The highest vote turnout (89.87%) registered in '81-Shahpur (Muhammadan-Rural)' and lowest (3.93%) registered in '122-Ambala North (Sikh-Rural)'.

In Non-Territorial Constituencies the highest number of voters (58,106) were in '153-Amritsar (Women-Sikh)' and lowest number of voters (10) were in '163-Baluch Tumandars (Landholders)'. Highest vote turnout (98.35%) was registered in '158-Punjab Commerce and Industry (Commerce and Industry)' and lowest (40.53%) registered in '151-Inner Lahore (Women-Mohammadan)'.

Results

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Party Seats won
Unionist Party
(UoP) 		98
Indian National Congress
(INC) 		18
Khalsa National Party
(KNP) 		13
Hindu Election Board
(HEB) 		12
Shiromani Akali Dal
(SAD) 		11
Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam
(MAI) 		4
All-India Muslim League
(AIML) 		2
Congress Nationalist Party
(CNP) 		1
Independents
(IND) 		16
Total 175
Source=[3]

Category wise result

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S. No. Party Category (Seats)
General Urban (8) General Rural (34) Muhammadans Urban (9) Muhammadans Rural (75) Sikh Urban (2) Sikh Rural (29) Special (18) Total (175)
1 Unionist Party - 15 3 72 - 2 6 98
2 Indian National Congress 7 3 - 2 - 4 2 18
3 Khalsa National Party - - - - 2 10 1 13
4 Hindu Election Board 1 9 - - - - 2 12
5 Shiromani Akali Dal - - - - - 10 1 11
6 Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam - - 4 - - - - 4
7 All-India Muslim League - - 1 1 - - - 2
8 Congress Nationalist Party - 1 - - - - - 1
9 Independents - 6 1 - - 3 6 16

Special (18)

  • Women (4)
    • General (1)
      • Indian National Congress - 1
    • Mohammadans (2)
      • Independents - 2
    • Sikhs (1)
      • Shiromani Akali Dal - 1
  • European (1)
    • Independent - 1
  • Anglo Indian (1)
    • Independent - 1
  • Indian Christian (2)
    • Unionist Party - 2
  • Punjab Commerce and Industry (1)
    • Independent - 1
  • Landholders (5)
    • General (1)
      • Hindu Election Board - 1
    • Mohammadans (3)
      • Unionist Party - 3
    • Sikhs (1)
      • Khalsa National Party - 1
  • Trade and Labour Unions (3)
    • Hindu Election Board - 1
    • Indian National Congress - 1
    • Unionist Party - 1
  • University (1)
    • Independent - 1

Constituency wise result

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Group Photo of Member of Punjab Provincial Assembly in 1937.

Color key for the Party of Candidates

Other color keys

  •   Candidate Elected Unopposed
  •   Constituency reserved for Schedule Caste

General Urban

S. No. Cons. No. Constituency Winner Party
1 1 Southern Towns Shri Ram Sharma Indian National Congress
2 2 South-Eastern Towns Deshbandhu Gupta
3 3 Eastern Towns Sudarshan Seth
4 4 Lahore City Gopi Chand Bhargava
5 5 Amritsar City Sant Ram Seth
6 6 North-Eastern Towns Krishan Gopal Dutt
7 7 North-Western Towns Bhimsen Sachar
8 8 South-Western Towns Shiv Dayal Hindu Election Board

General Rural

S. No. Cons. No. Constituency Winner Party
9 9 Hissar South Hey Ram Unionist Party
10 10 Hansi Suraj Mal
11 11 Hissar North Atma Ram Independent
12 12 Rohtak North Chaudhary Tika Ram Unionist Party
13 13 Rohtak Central Ram Sarup
14 14 Jhajjar Chottu Ram
15 15 North-western Gurgaon Rao Balbir Singh Hindu Election Board
16 16 South-Eastern Gurgaon Prem Singh Unionist Party
17 South-Eastern Gurgaon Sumer Singh
18 17 Karnal South Anant Ram
19 18 Karnal North Chaudhary Ranpat
20 Karnal North Chaudhary Faqira
21 19 Ambala-Simla Duni Chand Indian National Congress
22 Ambala-Simla Jugal Kishore Independent
23 20 Kangra
North 		Gopal Das Hindu Election Board
24 21 Kangra South Dina Nath
25 22 Kangra East Bagwant Singh Independent
26 23 Kangra West Bhagat Ram Sharma
27 24 Hoshiarpur West Kartar Singh Indian National Congress
28 Hoshiarpur West Mula Singh Independent
29 25 Una Rai Hari Chand Unionist Party
30 26 Jullundhar Bhagat Ram Choda Congress Nationalist Party
31 Jullundhar Seth Krishan Das Unionist Party
32 27 Ludhiana-Ferozpur Muni Lal Kalia Indian National Congress
33 Ludhiana-Ferozpur Gopal Singh Unionist Party
34 28 Western Lahore Gokul Chand Narang Hindu Election Board
35 29 Amritsar-Sialkot Chaudhary Rai
36 Amritsar-Sialkot Bhagat Hans Raj Unionist Party
37 30 Gurdaspur Ripudaman Singh Hindu Election Board
38 31 Rawalpindi Mukund Lal
39 32 South-Eastern Multan Girdhari Lal Independent
40 33 Layallpur Jhang Seth Ram Narain Arora Hindu Election Board
41 Layallpur Jhang Harnam Das Unionist Party
42 34 West Multan Sham Lal Hindu Election Board

Muhammadan Urban

S. No. Cons. No. Constituency Winner Party
43 35 Southern Towns Gulam Samad Unionist Party
44 36 South-Eastern Towns Mian Abdul Haye
45 37 Eastern Towns Barkat Ali All-India Muslim League
46 38 Inner Lahore Khalid Latif Gauba Unionist Party
47 39 Outer Lahore Abdul Aziz Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam
48 40 Amritsar City Saiffudin Kitchlew Independent
49 41 North-Eastern Towns Mazhar Ali Azhar Majlis-e-Ahrar-ul-Islam
50 42 Rawalpindi Towns Sheikh Muhammad Alam
51 43 Multan Towns Ghulam Hussain

Muhammadan Rural

S. No Cons. No. Constituency Winner Party
52 44 Hissar Saheb daad Khan Unionist Party
53 45 Rohtak Shafi Ali Khan
54 46 North-Western Gurgaon Yasin Khan
55 47 South-Eastern Gurgaon Abdur Rahim
56 48 Karnal Faiz Ali
57 49 Ambala-Simla Abdul Hamid Khan
58 50 Kangra East-Hoshiarpur Rai Faiz Khan
59 51 Hoshiarpur West Rana Nasrullah Khan
60 52 Jullundur North Abdur Rahman
61 53 Jullundur South Abdur Raab
62 54 Ludhiana Mohammed Hassan Indian National Congress
63 55 Ferozpur Central Shah Nawaz Khan Mamdot Unionist Party
64 56 Ferozpur Eastern Amjad Ali Khan
65 57 Fazilka Akbar Ali
66 58 Lahore South Muzaffar Ali Khan Qizilibash
67 59 Chunian Muhammad Husain
68 60 Kasur Iftik Haruddin Indian National Congress
69 61 Amritsar Maqbul Mahmud Unionist Party
70 62 Tarn Taran Faqir Hussain Khan
71 63 Ajanala Fazl Din
72 64 Gurdaspur East Ali Akbar
73 65 Batala Badar Mohy-ud-din Qadri
74 66 Shakargarh Abdur Rahim
75 67 Sialkot North Shahab-ud-din
76 68 Sialkot Center Ghulam Rasul Cheema
77 69 Sialkot South Shahab-ud-din Virk
78 70 Gujranwala North Nasiruddin Chatha
79 71 Gujranwala East Husain Bhinder
80 72 Hafizabad Riasat Ali Chatha
81 73 Sheikhupura Ghulam Mohyuddin Qasuri
82 74 Nankana Sahib Karamat Ali
83 75 Shahdara Afzal Ali Shah Hasni
84 76 Gujarat North Fateh Mohammed
85 77 Gujarat East Fazal Ali Khan
86 78 South-Eastern Gujarat Muhammad khan
87 79 Gujarat West Irshadullah Ranjha
88 80 South-Western Gujarat Muhammad Ashraf Warraich
89 81 Shahpur Allah Baksh Khan Tiwana
90 82 Khushab Malik Khizar Hayat Tiwana
91 83 Bhalwal Umar Hayat Khan
92 84 Sargodha Habibullah Khan Tiwana
93 85 Jehlum Mohammed Khan Akram
94 86 Pind Dadan Khan Gazanfar Ali Khan All-India Muslim League
95 87 Chabwal Sarfraj Ali Khan Unionist Party
96 88 Rawalpindi Sadar Yusuf Khan
97 89 Gujar Khan Farman Ali Khan
98 90 Rawalpindi East Raja Fateh Khan
99 91 Attock North Muzaffar Khan
100 92 Attock Central Mohammed Nawaz Khan
101 93 Attock South Mohyuddin Lal Badshah
102 94 Mianwali North Gulam Qadir Khan
103 95 Mianwali South Muzaffar Khan
104 96 Montgomery Fateh Sher Khan Langrial
105 97 Okara Jehangir Khan
106 98 Dipalpur Nur Ahmed Maneka
107 99 Pakpattan Sultan Ahmed Hotiana
108 100 Lyallpur Mohammed Nurullah
109 101 Samunduri Sadat Ali Khan
110 102 Toba Tek Singh Nasir-ud-din Shah
111 103 Jaranwal Rai Shahadat Ali Khan
112 104 Jhang East Nawazish Ali Khan
113 105 Jhang Central Mubarak Ali Shah
114 106 Jhang West Talib Hussain Khan
115 107 Multan Ashiq Hussain Qureshi
116 108 Shujabad Raja Shah Gilani
117 109 Lodhran Vilayat Hussain Shah
118 110 Mailsi Ahmad Yar Khan Doultana
119 111 Khanewal Habit Khan Daha
120 112 Kabirwala Wali Mohammed Sial Hiraz
121 113 Muzaffargarh Sadar Fazl Karim Baksh Qureshi
122 114 Alipur Mohammed Hasan
123 115 Muzaffargarh North Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani
124 116 Dera Gaji Khan North Gulam Murtaza
125 117 Dera Gaji Khan Central Faiz Mohammed
126 118 Dera Gaji Khan South Husain Khan Gurchani

Sikh Urban

S. No. Cons. No. Constituency Winner Party
127 119 Eastern Towns Santokh Singh Khalsa National Party
128 120 Western Towns Ujjal Singh

Sikh Rural

S. No. Cons. No. Constituency Winner Party
129 121 South-Eastern Punjab Narotam Singh Shiromani Akali Dal
130 122 Ambala North Baldev Singh
131 123 Kangara North-Hoshiarpur Hari Singh
132 124 Hoshiarpur South Harjab Singh Indian National Congress
133 125 Jullundur West Gurbachan Singh Khalsa National Party
134 126 Jullundur East Kabul Singh Indian National Congress
135 127 Ludhiana East Kapur Singh Independent
136 128 Ludhiana Central Lal Singh Kamla Unionist Party
137 129 Jagraon Dasaundha Singh Khalsa National Party
138 130 Ferozpur North Sodhi Harnam Singh Khalsa National Party
139 131 Ferozpur East Rur Singh Indian National Congress
140 132 Ferozpur West Pritam Singh Sidhu Independent
141 133 Ferozpur South Tara Singh Shiromani Akali Dal
142 134 Lahore West Tehja Singh Indian National Congress
143 135 Kasur Chanan Singh Shiromani Akali Dal
144 136 Amritsar North Sohan Singh Josh Unionist Party
145 137 Amritsar Central Basakha Singh Khalsa National Party
146 138 Amritsar South Partap Singh Kairon Shiromani Akali Dal
147 139 Gurdaspur North Inder Singh Khalsa National Party
148 140 Batala Sundar Singh Majithia
149 141 Sialkot Balwant Singh Independent
150 142 Gujranwala-Shahadara Joginder Singh Khalsa National Party
151 143 Sheikhupura West Naunihal Singh Mann
152 144 Gujarat Shahpur Prem Singh Shiromani Akali Dal
153 145 North-Western Punjab Uttam Singh Duggal Khalsa National Party
154 146 Montgomery East Jagjit Singh Bedi Shiromani Akali Dal
155 147 Lyallpur West Sampuran Singh
156 148 Lyallpur East Giani Kartar Singh
157 149 South-Western Punjab Ajit Singh Khalsa National Party

Special

S. No Cons. No. Constituency Winner Party
Women
158 150 Lahore City (General) Parbhati Devi Indian National Congress
159 151 Inner Lahore (Muhammadan) Rashida Latif Independent
160 152 Outer Lahore (Muhammadan) Jahanara Shah Nawaz
161 153 Amritsar South (Sikh) Raghbir Kaur Shiromani Akali Dal
Anglo-Indian
162 154 Punjab Anglo-Indian E. Few Independent
European
163 155 European William Roberts Independent
Indian Christian
164 156 East-Central Punjab S. P. Singha Unionist Party
165 157 West-Central Punjab Jalal-ud-din Amber
Commerce and Industry
166 158 Punjab Commerce and Industry Binda Saran Independent
Landholders
167 159 Eastern Punjab (General) Raja Narender Nath Hindu Election Board
168 160 Central Punjab (Sikh) Jagjit Singh Khalsa National Party
169 161 Northern Punjab (Muhammadan) Sikandar Hayat Khan Unionist Party
170 162 Western Punjab (Muhammadan) Hayat Khan Noon
171 163 Baluch Tumandars (Muhammadan) Jamal Khan Leghari
Trade and Labour Unions
172 164 Punjab Trade and Labour Unions Sita Ram Hindu Election Board
173 165 Eastern Punjab Diwan Chaman Lall Indian National Congress
174 166 Northern Punjab Ahmad Baksh Khan Unionist Party
University
175 167 Punjab Universities Manohar Lal Independent

Government formation

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(Right to Left) Amjad Ali Khan (member), Malik Khizar Hayat Tiwana (minister), Dasaundha Singh (member), Sikandar Hayat Khan (prime minister), Chottu Ram (minister), Mian Abdul Haye (minister) in 1940.

After the result Unionist party got majority in the assembly on its own. Unionist Party leader Sikandar Hayat Khan claimed the formation of Government in the State. Khalsa National Board and Hindu Election Board also joined the government.

On 5 April 1937 Sikandar Hayat Khan formed the Government and 5 other members also took oath. The ministers and their ministries were as follows:-[4]

Name Ministry Party Constituency
Sikandar Hayat Khan Prime minister and Law and order UoP North Punjab (Landholders) (Mohammadans)
Chottu Ram Revenue and Irrigation UoP Jhajjat (General-Urban)
Mnohar Lal Finance and Industry IND Punjab Universities
Malik Khizar Hayat Tiwana Electricity, Police and Local governments UoP Khushab (Muhammadans-Rural)
Sundar Singh Majithia Development KNP Batala (Sikh-Rural)
Mian Abdul Hayee Education and Health UoP South East Town (Muhammadans-Urban)

On 2 April 1941 after the death of Sundar Singh Majithia, the ministry of Development was handed over to Dasaundha Singh (KNP) from Jagraon (Sikh-Rural) constituency.[5] In 1942 after Sikandar-Baldev Pact KNP leader and minister Dasaundha Singh was removed from the cabinet and Baldev Singh joined the cabinet.[6]

On 26 December 1945 Sikandar Hayat Khan died due to a heart attack. Malik Khizar Hayat Tiwana succeeded him on 30 December 1945.[7]

References

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  1. ^ Elections in Punjab 1920-1947 (Pdf),(p. 16), Book by Kirpal C. Yadav. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  2. ^ Elections in Punjab 1920-1947 (Pdf),(p. 84), Book by Kirpal C. Yadav. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  3. ^ Political Development and Political Parties in Punjan 1849-1948 (Pdf), (p. 74), Pakistan Journal of Social Science Vol. 29, No. 1 (June 2009) pp. 65-78. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  4. ^ Turmoil in Punjab politics Book by Subhash Chandra Arora. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  5. ^ Turmoil in Punjab politics Book by Subhash Chandra Arora. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  6. ^ Sikandar-Baldev Pact. www.thesikhencyclopedia.com. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  7. ^ Firoz Khan Noon to Khizar Hayat Khan, 21 August 1945, SHC/Punjab vol. IV, 15.
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