1991 Indian general election

1991 Indian general election
← 1989 20 May, 12 June and 15 June 1991[1]
19 February 1992 (Punjab)		 1996 →
537 of the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha
269 seats needed for a majority
Registered498,363,801
Turnout56.73% (Decrease 5.22pp)
  First party Second party
 
P. V. Narasimha Rao.JPG
Lal Krishna Advani 2009.jpg
Leader P. V. Narasimha Rao L. K. Advani
Party INC(I) BJP
Last election 39.53%, 197 seats 11.36%, 85 seats
Seats won 244 120
Seat change Increase 47 Increase 35
Popular vote 101,285,692 55,843,074
Percentage 36.26% 20.11%
Swing Decrease 3.27pp Increase 8.75pp
  Third party Fourth party
 
V. P. Singh (cropped).jpg
E. M. S. Namboodiripad.jpg
Leader V. P. Singh E. M. S. Namboodiripad
Party JD CPI(M)
Alliance NF NF
Last election 17.79%, 143 seats 6.55%, 33 seats
Seats won 59 35
Seat change Decrease 84 Increase 2
Popular vote 32,628,400 16,954,797
Percentage 11.84% 6.16%
Swing Decrease 5.95pp Decrease 0.39 pp
Results by constituency
Prime Minister before election

Chandra Shekhar
SJP

Prime Minister after election

P. V. Narasimha Rao
INC(I)

General elections were held in India on 20 May, 12 June and 15 June 1991 to elect the members of the 10th Lok Sabha, although they were delayed until 19 February 1992 in Punjab.

No party could muster a majority in the Lok Sabha, resulting in the Indian National Congress (Indira) forming a minority government under new Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao with the support of other parties. The government survived 28 July 1993 no confidence vote in controversial circumstances by bribing MPs from the Janata Dal and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.[2][3]

Elections were not held for the six seats allocated to Jammu and Kashmir, nor for two seats in Bihar and one in Uttar Pradesh. Voter turnout was 57%, the lowest to date in an Indian general election.[4]

  1. ^ "1991 India General (10th Lok Sabha) Elections Results". www.elections.in. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  2. ^ "Narashima Rao becomes butt of 'suitcase' and 'crore' jokes among Congressmen, Opposition". India Today. 15 August 1993. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  3. ^ "JMM MP turns approver in bribery case against Rao". www.rediff.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  4. ^ "India: parliamentary elections Lok Sabha, 1991". archive.ipu.org. Archived from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2020.