INDIA: parliamentary elections Lok Sabha - House of the People, 1999

INDIA
Parliamentary Chamber: Lok Sabha - House of the People

ELECTIONS HELD IN 1999

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Chamber:

Lok Sabha - House of the People

Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):

5 September 1999
3 October 1999

Purpose of elections:

Elections were held for 543 elective seats of the Lok Sabha following the premature dissolution of this body on 26 April 1999. General elections had previously been held in February and March 1998.

Background and outcome of elections:

On 17 April 1999, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee (Bharatiya Janata Party - BJP) narrowly lost a confidence vote in the Lok Sabha and consequently tendered the resignation of his coalition government, citing a lack of cohesion in this 24-party National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The main opposition Congress (I) party could not muster enough support to form a majority government with regional and left-wing groups. On 26 April, President of the Republic K. R. Narayanan dissolved the Lok Sabha and called for early elections. The BJP continued to rule as an interim administration until the polling, the dates of which were announced on 4 May by the Election Commission.
As general elections had previously been held in 1996 and 1998, those of 1999 were the third in 40 months. Their dates were spread over five weeks to allow for the deployment of security forces around the country's 31 states and federally administered union territories to stem electoral fraud and violence. Altogether 45 parties (six national, the rest regional) contested the 543 elective seats at stake.
During the lengthy election campaign, the Hindu-nationalist BJP and the centrist Congress generally agreed on economic and foreign policy issues, including the handling of the Kashmir border crisis with Pakistan. Their rivalry thus boiled down into a personal confrontation between Mr. Vajpayee and Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, the Congress leader and the Italian-born widow of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Other prominent politicians to speak out were Mr. Jyoti Basu, leader of the Communist Party of India (CPI-M) and Mr. Mulayam Yaday, head of the Samajwadi group. Although the campaign saw less Hindu-Muslim friction than usual, the polling days themselves (and especially the third round on 18 September) were marked by violence and relatively low voter participation. The outcome of the vote count which began on 6 October gave the NDA 298 seats to 136 for Congress and its allies. On this basis, Mr. Vajpayee continued as Prime Minister; he and his coalition government were sworn in on 13 October.

STATISTICS

Round no 1 (5 September 1999): Elections results

Number of registered electors 620 394 065

Voters 370 579 734 (60 %)

Round no 1: Distribution of seats

Political Group Total

National Democratic Alliance (NDA) 296

Congress (I) and allies 137

Left Front coalition 43

Others and independents 67

Distribution of seats according to sex:

Men: 494

Women: 49

Percent of women: 8.99

<<< Return to the Historical Archive page of parliamentary election results for INDIA <<<

Chamber:
	Lok Sabha - House of the People
Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):
	5 September 1999 3 October 1999
Purpose of elections:
	Elections were held for 543 elective seats of the Lok Sabha following the premature dissolution of this body on 26 April 1999. General elections had previously been held in February and March 1998.
Background and outcome of elections:
	On 17 April 1999, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee (Bharatiya Janata Party - BJP) narrowly lost a confidence vote in the Lok Sabha and consequently tendered the resignation of his coalition government, citing a lack of cohesion in this 24-party National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The main opposition Congress (I) party could not muster enough support to form a majority government with regional and left-wing groups. On 26 April, President of the Republic K. R. Narayanan dissolved the Lok Sabha and called for early elections. The BJP continued to rule as an interim administration until the polling, the dates of which were announced on 4 May by the Election Commission. As general elections had previously been held in 1996 and 1998, those of 1999 were the third in 40 months. Their dates were spread over five weeks to allow for the deployment of security forces around the country's 31 states and federally administered union territories to stem electoral fraud and violence. Altogether 45 parties (six national, the rest regional) contested the 543 elective seats at stake. During the lengthy election campaign, the Hindu-nationalist BJP and the centrist Congress generally agreed on economic and foreign policy issues, including the handling of the Kashmir border crisis with Pakistan. Their rivalry thus boiled down into a personal confrontation between Mr. Vajpayee and Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, the Congress leader and the Italian-born widow of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Other prominent politicians to speak out were Mr. Jyoti Basu, leader of the Communist Party of India (CPI-M) and Mr. Mulayam Yaday, head of the Samajwadi group. Although the campaign saw less Hindu-Muslim friction than usual, the polling days themselves (and especially the third round on 18 September) were marked by violence and relatively low voter participation. The outcome of the vote count which began on 6 October gave the NDA 298 seats to 136 for Congress and its allies. On this basis, Mr. Vajpayee continued as Prime Minister; he and his coalition government were sworn in on 13 October.

Round no 1 (5 September 1999): Elections results
Number of registered electors	620 394 065
Voters	370 579 734 (60 %)

Round no 1: Distribution of seats
Political Group	Total
National Democratic Alliance (NDA)	296
Congress (I) and allies	137
Left Front coalition	43
Others and independents	67

Distribution of seats according to sex:
Men:	494
Women:	49
Percent of women:	8.99