Here are the corrected and formatted notes on the first Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (1951-1956).
Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly (1951-1956): Notes
1. Constitutional Status and Formation
- Status: On January 26, 1950, Himachal Pradesh became a Part C State.
- Enabling Act: The Government of Part C States Act, 1951, provided for an elected Legislative Assembly and a Council of Ministers.
- First Elections: The first general elections to the 36-member Assembly were held in November 1951.
- Note: Himachal Pradesh was one of the first regions to vote in India’s inaugural general election. Voting was held early (November 1951) to avoid the heavy snowfall expected in early 1952.
2. Election Results (November 1951)
- Party-wise Seat Distribution:
- Indian National Congress (INC): 24 seats (47.25% vote share)
- Independents: 8 seats (26.6% vote share)
- Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party (KMPP): 3 seats (14.69% vote share)
- Scheduled Caste Federation (SCF): 1 seat (5.77% vote share)
- Key Statistics:
- Total Seats: 36
- Total Voters: 7,13,554
- Voter Turnout: 25.16% (1,79,515 votes polled)
3. Leadership Structure (1952-1956)
- Lieutenant Governor:
- Name: Major General M.S. Himmat Singh (K.S. Himmatsinhji)
- Tenure: March 1, 1952 – December 31, 1954
- Chief Minister (First):
- Name: Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar (INC)
- Tenure: March 24, 1952 – October 31, 1956
- Constituency: Pachhad
- Speaker (First):
- Name: Pandit Jaiwant Ram (INC)
- Tenure: March 24, 1952 – October 31, 1956
- Constituency: Bhattiyat
- Deputy Speaker (First):
- Name: Shri Krishna Chander (INC)
- Tenure: 1952 – 1956
- Constituency: Chachiot
4. Council of Ministers (First Cabinet)
Dr. Y.S. Parmar formed a three-member ministry:
- Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar:
- Role: Chief Minister
- Portfolios: Held all portfolios not assigned to other ministers.
- Pandit Padam Dev:
- Role: Home Minister
- Constituency: Rohru
- Note: Also known as “Kaviraj” and was an Ayurvedic physician.
- Pandit Gauri Prasad:
- Role: Public Works Department (PWD) Minister
- Constituency: Rawalsar (Mandi district)
- Note: A freedom fighter who had joined the Praja Mandal movement.
5. Complete List of All 36 Elected Members (1952)
| Constituency | Member Name | Party |
| Solan | Ram Dass | Scheduled Castes Federation |
| Solan | Hira Singh Pal | Independent |
| Kasumpti | Hitendra Sen | Independent |
| Suni | Sita Ram | Indian National Congress |
| Kumarsain | Ram Dayal | Independent |
| Theog | Jiwanoo | Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party |
| Theog | Devi Ram | Indian National Congress |
| Jubbal | Bala Nand | Indian National Congress |
| Rohru | Padam Dev | Indian National Congress |
| Rajgarh | Ghan Shyam | Independent |
| Rampur | Hardayal Singh | Indian National Congress |
| Rampur | Bhagat Ram | Indian National Congress |
| Chini | Gopal Chand | Independent |
| Bhamla | Sarju Singh | Indian National Congress |
| Rawalsar | Pandit Gauri Prasad | Indian National Congress |
| Mahadev | Karam Singh | Indian National Congress |
| Chachiot | Piru | Indian National Congress |
| Chachiot | Krishna Chandar | Indian National Congress |
| Kersog | Rattan Singh | Indian National Congress |
| Sunder Nagar | Baldev Chand | Indian National Congress |
| Sadar Mandi | Krishna Nand Swami | Independent |
| Joginder Nagar | Besar Ram | Indian National Congress |
| Sandhol | Hari Singh | Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party |
| Sandhol | Kashmir Singh | Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party |
| Churah | Vidya Dhar | Indian National Congress |
| Churah | Avtar Chand | Indian National Congress |
| Chamba | Chattar Singh | Indian National Congress |
| Bhattiyat | Jaiwant Ram | Indian National Congress |
| Bharmour | Gurditta Mal | Independent |
| Pangi | Daulat Ram | Indian National Congress |
| Nahan | Tapinder Singh | Indian National Congress |
| Paonta | Shiva Nand | Indian National Congress |
| Pachhad | Jiwnu | Indian National Congress |
| Pachhad | Yashwant Singh Parmar | Indian National Congress |
| Reinka | Partap Singh | Indian National Congress |
| Reinka | Dharam Singh | Independent |
Note: Several constituencies (Solan, Theog, Rampur, Chachiot, Churah, Sandhol, Pachhad, and Reinka) had dual representation.
6. Major Developments During the Assembly’s Term
- First Assembly Session (1952):
- The first session was held at Rashtrapati Niwas (formerly Viceregal Lodge), Shimla.
- It was inaugurated by Lt. Governor Major General Himmat Singh.
- Merger of Bilaspur (July 1, 1954):
- The Part C State of Bilaspur was merged with Himachal Pradesh.
- Bilaspur became the 5th district of Himachal Pradesh.
- This increased the Legislative Assembly’s strength from 36 to 41 members.
- Establishment of Public Relations:
- The Department of Public Relations was established in 1954 to publicize government activities.
- First Chief Secretary:
- K.L. Mehta became the first Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh in March 1952.
7. Dissolution and Transition to Union Territory
- Abolition: The Legislative Assembly was abolished on October 31, 1956, under the States Reorganization Act, 1956.
- New Status: On November 1, 1956, Himachal Pradesh became a Union Territory.
- Replacement: The assembly was replaced by a Territorial Council with limited powers.
- First Lt. Governor (of UT): Bajrang Bahadur Singh became the first Lt. Governor of the Union Territory of Himachal Pradesh.
8. Historical Significance
- This assembly (March 24, 1952 – October 31, 1956) represented Himachal Pradesh’s first experiment with democratic governance.
- The government, led by Dr. Y.S. Parmar, established the foundational administrative framework for the modern state.
- Dr. Parmar strongly resisted the States Reorganization Commission’s recommendation to merge HP with Punjab. Despite temporarily losing the battle (leading to UT status), this resistance was crucial in preserving HP’s separate identity, which paved the way for full statehood in 1971.