1989 Indian general election

1989 Indian general election
← 1984 22 and 26 November 1989[1] 1991 →
529 of the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha
265 seats needed for a majority
Registered498,906,129
Turnout61.95% (Decrease 2.06pp)
  First party Second party
 
Rajiv Gandhi, the 6th PM of India.jpg
V. P. Singh (cropped).jpg
Leader Rajiv Gandhi V. P. Singh
Party INC(I) JD
Alliance INC (I)+ JD+
Last election 46.86%, 414 seats 13.50%, 14 seats
Seats won 197 143
Seat change Decrease 217 Increase 129
Popular vote 118,894,702 53,518,521
Percentage 39.53% 17.79%
Swing Decrease 7.33pp Increase 4.29pp
  Third party Fourth party
 
Lkadvani.jpg
E. M. S. Namboodiripad.jpg
Leader L. K. Advani E. M. S. Namboodiripad
Party BJP CPI(M)
Alliance LF
Last election 7.74%, 2 seats 5.87%, 22 seats
Seats won 85 33
Seat change Increase 83 Increase 11
Popular vote 34,171,477 19,691,309
Percentage 11.36% 6.55%
Swing Increase 3.62pp Increase 0.68pp
Results by constituency
Prime Minister before election

Rajiv Gandhi
INC(I)

Prime Minister after election

V. P. Singh
JD

General elections were held in India on 22 and 26 November 1989 to elect the members of the ninth Lok Sabha.[1] The incumbent Indian National Congress (Indira) government under the premiership of Rajiv Gandhi lost its mandate, even though it was still the largest single party in the Lok Sabha.[2][3] V. P. Singh, the leader of the second largest party Janata Dal (which also headed the National Front) was invited by the President of India to form the government.[4] The government was formed with outside support from the Bharatiya Janata Party and Communist parties led by CPI(M).[5] V. P. Singh was sworn in as the seventh Prime Minister of India on 2 December 1989.

  1. ^ a b "INDIA: Parliamentary elections Lok Sabha, 1989". Inter-Parliamentary Union. Archived from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
  2. ^ Krishna, India since Independence (2011), p. 343.
  3. ^ Sumeda (6 April 2024). "How the 1989 Lok Sabha election changed Indian politics". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  4. ^ Krishna, India since Independence (2011), p. 349: 'The Rashtrapati Bhawan communiqué that evening was a commentary on the fractured nature of the mandate: "Since the Congress (I), elected to the Ninth Lok Sabha with the largest membership, has opted not to stake its claim for forming the Government, the President invited Mr. V. P. Singh, leader of the second largest party/group, namely the Janata Dal/National Front to form the Government and take a vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha within 30 days of his assuming office."'
  5. ^ Krishna, India since Independence (2011), p. 347.