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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1951 Jammu and Kashmir Constituent Assembly election
| country = Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)
| type = parliamentary
| previous_election = 1947 Jammu and Kashmir Praja Sabha election
| previous_year = 1947
| previous_mps =
| election_date = September–October 1951
| next_election = 1957 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election
| next_year = 1957
| seats_for_election= All 75 seats in [[Jammu and Kashmir Constituent Assembly]]
| majority_seats = 38
| opinion_polls =
| turnout =

| image1 = [[File:JKNC-flag.svg|100x90px]]
| party1 = Jammu & Kashmir National Conference
| leader1 = [[Sheikh Abdullah]]
| leader_since1 =
| leaders_seat1 =
| last_election1 =
| seats1 = 75
| seat_change1 =

| image2 =
| party2 =
| leader2 =
| leader_since2 =
| leaders_seat2 =
| last_election2 =
| seats2 =
| seat_change2 =

| image4 =
| leader4 =
| party4 =
| leader_since4 =
| leaders_seat4 =
| last_election4 =
| seats4 =
| seat_change4 =

| title = Prime Minister
| before_election = [[Sheikh Abdullah]]
| before_party = Jammu & Kashmir National Conference
| after_election = [[Sheikh Abdullah]]
| after_party = Jammu & Kashmir National Conference
}}

Elections for the [[Constituent Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir|Constituent Assembly]] of the Indian [[States and territories of India|state]] of [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] were held in September–October 1951.{{sfn|Das Gupta, Jammu and Kashmir|2012|p=229}} [[Sheikh Abdullah]] was appointed the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Following frictions with various groups such as the [[Jammu Praja Parishad]], Abdullah was dismissed in August 1953 and imprisoned. [[Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad]] was appointed as the next prime minister.

==Background==
The princely state of [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] [[Instrument of Accession (Jammu and Kashmir)|acceded]] to the Union of India on 26 October 1947. Shortly afterwards, the [[Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir]] appointed [[Sheikh Abdullah]] as the Head of Emergency Administration, who ran the affairs in the [[Kashmir Valley]] during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947]]. Following the cease-fire achieved on 1 January 1949, Sheikh Abdullah was appointed the Prime Minister of the state on 5 March 1948. He chose an eight-member Cabinet, with the other members being:{{sfn|Das Gupta, Jammu and Kashmir|2012|p=188}}
* [[Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad]] – Deputy Prime Minister
* [[Mirza Afzal Beg]] – Revenue
* Sardar Budh Singh – Health and Rehabilitation
* [[Ghulam Mohammed Sadiq]] – Development
* Shyam Lal Saraf – Civil Supplies and Local Self-Government
* [[Girdhari Lal Dogra]] – Finance
* Pir Mohammad Khan – Education
The [[Jammu & Kashmir National Conference]], the party of Sheikh Abdullah, announced on 27 October 1950 its decision to convene a Constituent Assembly for the state of Jammu and Kashmir.{{sfn|Das Gupta, Jammu and Kashmir|2012|p=169}}

Pakistan immediately raised a complaint in the [[United Nations Security Council]] stating that India was convening a Constituent Assembly to "ratify the formal accession of the State to India" in contravention of the Security Council resolutions.{{sfn|Das Gupta, Jammu and Kashmir|2012|pp=163, 185}} India reassured all parties that the decision of the Constituent Assembly would not affect India's commitments in the Security Council.{{sfn|Das Gupta, Jammu and Kashmir|2012|p=186}} The Security Council took note of the development in its [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 91|30 March 1951 resolution]] and reminded both the Indian and Pakistani governments of the past resolutions of the Security Council and affirmed that the decisions of the Constituent Assembly would not be binding.{{sfn|Das Gupta, Jammu and Kashmir|2012|pp=168–169}}{{sfn|Bose, Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace|2003|p=54}}

On 30 April, the Prince Regent [[Karan Singh]] issued a proclamation announcing the elections for the Constituent Assembly based on the adult franchise by secret ballot. The elections took place in September–October 1951.{{sfn|Das Gupta, Jammu and Kashmir|2012|p=186}}
The Constituent Assembly was to have a nominal membership of 100 members, of which 25 seats were allocated to [[Azad Kashmir]] under Pakistani control (which were never filled). Of the remaining 75 seats, [[Kashmir Division|Kashmir]] was allocated 43 seats, [[Ladakh]] 2 seats, and [[Jammu Division|Jammu]] 30 seats.{{sfn|Das Gupta, Jammu and Kashmir|2012|p=186}}{{sfn|Bose, Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace|2003|p=55}}

==The election==
The elections were conducted by the State's election and franchise commissioner.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ahuja|first=M. L.|title=Electoral Politics and General Elections in India, 1952-1998|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CFCjniBF9s8C&pg=PA101|date=1998|publisher=Mittal Publications|isbn=978-81-7099-711-5|pages=101}}</ref>
The procedures of the election were highly irregular. All the 43 seats allocated to Kashmir went to the National Conference candidates, who were elected unopposed a week before the date of the elections. In Jammu, 13 candidates belonging to the [[Jammu Praja Parishad]] had their nominations rejected. The Praja Parishad then boycotted the elections, blaming the Government's illegal practices and official interference. Two independent candidates dropped out at the last moment, giving a clean sweep to the National Conference.{{sfn|Das Gupta, Jammu and Kashmir|2012|p=186}}{{sfn|Bose, Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace|2003|pp=55–56}} In Ladakh, the Head Lama, [[19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche|Kushak Bakula]] and an associate won seats, as nominal members of the National Conference.<ref name="BubandtBeek2012">{{cite book |last1=van Beek |first1=Martijn |chapter=Enlightened democracy: Normative secularism and spiritual authority on the margins of Indian politics |editor1=Nils Ole Bubandt |editor2=Martijn Van Beek |title=Varieties of Secularism in Asia: Anthropological Explorations of Religion, Politics and the Spiritual |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9tKoAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA87 |date= 2012 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-66864-7 |page=87}}</ref> Thus, the National Conference won all the 75 seats to the Constituent Assembly, which convened on 31 October 1951.{{sfn|Das Gupta, Jammu and Kashmir|2012|p=186}}

Scholar [[Sumantra Bose]] states that the manner of elections indicated that the National Conference elites wanted to govern Jammu and Kashmir as a [[party state|one party state]]. Their slogan was "One Leader, One Party, One Programme". [[Balraj Puri]], a journalist and secular activist from Jammu, is said to have argued with [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] that Ghulam Mohiuddin Karra's group in the Kashmir Valley should be allowed to function as an opposition group in the state. While Nehru agreed with the principle, he stated that nothing should be done to weaken Sheikh Abdullah.{{sfn|Bose, Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace|2003|pp=56–57}}

The [[Jammu Praja Parishad]], having been denied opportunities for the democratic opposition, took to the streets. It demanded full integration of the state with India to ensure the "legitimate democratic rights of the people" against the "anti-Dogra government of Sheikh Abdullah".{{sfn|Bose, Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace|2003|pp=56–57}} The conflict with the Praja Parishad eventually led to the termination of Sheikh Abdullah's rule.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Balraj |last=Puri |author-link=Balraj Puri |title=Schizophrenia in Jammu? |journal=[[Economic and Political Weekly]] |volume=9 |number=6/8 |date=Feb 1974 |pages=185–187 |jstor=4363413}}: "The agitation of the Jammu Praja Parishad in 1952-53 against the special status of the state is generally acknowledged to be the cause of Sheikh Abdullah's final breach with New Delhi."</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Tillin, Asymmetry in Indian Federalism|2006|pp=54–55}}: "It was partly in response to their campaign that Sheikh Abdullah began to emphasize the option of Kashmir’s independence, leading to his arrest in 1953 and the installation of a more pliant government which gave its consent to the extension of most of the Indian constitution to Jammu and Kashmir."</ref>

== Results ==
The elected members of the assembly, according to data hosted by the South Asia Terrorism Portal, were:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Proclamation of May 1, 1951 on the Jammu and Kashmir Constituent Assembly |url=https://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/states/jandk/documents/papers/proclamation_may_1_1951.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240420192359/https://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/states/jandk/documents/papers/proclamation_may_1_1951.htm |archive-date=20 April 2024 |access-date=2024-11-25 |website=South Asia Terrorism Portal}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|'''No.'''
|'''Member'''
|'''Constituency'''
|-
|1.
|[[Maulana Masoodi|Maulana Mohammad Sayeed Masudi]]
|[[Amira Kadal Assembly constituency|Amira Kadal]]
|-
|2.
|[[Sheikh Abdullah|Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah]]
|[[Hazratbal Assembly constituency|Hazratbal]]
|-
|3.
|[[Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad]]
|[[Safa Kadal]]
|-
|4
|[[Mirza Afzal Beg|Mirza Mohammed Afzal Beg]]
|[[Anantnag Assembly constituency|Anantnag]]
|-
|5
|[[Girdhari Lal Dogra]]
|[[Hiranagar Assembly constituency|Jasmergarh]]
|-
|6
|Shyam Lal Saraf
|[[Habba Kadal Assembly constituency|Habba Kadal]]
|-
|7
|Abdul Aziz Shawl
|[[Rajouri Assembly constituency|Rajouri]]
|-
|8
|Abdul Gani Trali
|[[Rajpora Assembly constituency|Rajpora]]
|-
|9
|Abdul Gani Goni
|[[Bhalessa–Bunjwah Assembly constituency|Bhalesa]]
|-
|10
|Syed Abdul Qudus
|[[Beerwah Assembly constituency|Beerwah]]
|-
|11
|[[Bakshi Abdur Rashid]]
|[[Charari Sharief Assembly constituency|Charar-i-Sharief]]
|-
|12
|Abdul Kabir Khan
|[[Bandipora Assembly constituency|Bandipora]] ([[Gurez Assembly constituency|Gurez]])
|-
|13
|Abdul Khaliq
|[[Sonawari Assembly constituency|Sonawari]]
|-
|14
|Syed Allaudin Gilani
|[[Handwara Assembly constituency|Handwara]]
|-
|15
|Assad Ullah Mir
|[[Ramban Assembly constituency|Ramban]]
|-
|16
|Bhagat Ram
|Lander [[Tikri Assembly constituency|Tikri]] (now part of [[Udhampur West Assembly constituency|Udhampur West]])
|-
|17
|Bhagat Chhajju Ram
|[[Ranbir Singh Pora–Jammu South Assembly constituency|Ranbirsinghpora]]
|-
|18
|Sardar Chela Singh
|[[Chhamb Assembly constituency|Chhamb]]
|-
|19
|Chuni Lal Kotwal
|[[Bhaderwah Assembly constituency|Bhaderwah]]
|-
|20
|[[Durga Prasad Dhar]]
|[[Kulgam Assembly constituency|Kulgam]]
|-
|21
|Ghulam Ahmad Mir
|[[Dachnipora|Dachinpara]]
|-
|22
|Master Ghulam Ahmed
|[[Poonch Haveli Assembly constituency|Haveli]]
|-
|23
|Ghulam Ahmad Dev
|[[Doda Assembly constituency|Doda]]
|-
|24
|Pirzada Ghulam Gilani
|[[Pampore Assembly constituency|Pampore]]
|-
|25
|Ghulam Hassan Khan
|[[Noorabad Assembly constituency|Narwah]]
|-
|26
|Ghulam Hassan Bhat
|[[Nandi Assembly constituency|Nandi]] (now part of [[Noorabad Assembly constituency|Noorabad]])<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 December 2019 |title=The Journal of Parliamentary Information |url=https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/794362/1/JPI_December_2019.pdf |website=Parliament Digital Library |page=86}}</ref>
|-
|27
|Ghulam Hassan Malik
|[[Devsar, Jammu and Kashmir Assembly constituency|Devsar]]
|-
|28
|Pir Ghulam Mohammad Masoodi
|[[Tral Assembly constituency|Tral]]
|-
|29
|[[Ghulam Mohammed Sadiq]]
|[[Tankipora Assembly constituency|Tankipora]] (Fateh Kadal)
|-
|30
|Mirza Ghulam Mohammad Beg
|[[Naubug Assembly constituency|Naubag]] ([[Breng Valley|Brang Valley]])
|-
|31
|Ghulam Mohammad Butt
|[[Pattan Assembly constituency|Pattan]]
|-
|32
|Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Khan
|[[Khan Sahib Assembly constituency|Khansahib]]
|-
|33
|Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Hamdani
|[[Khanyar Assembly constituency|Khanyar]]
|-
|34
|Mirwaiz Ghulam Nabi Hamdani
|[[Zadibal Assembly constituency|Zadibal]]
|-
|35
|Ghulam Nabi Wani
|[[Darhgam Assembly constituency|Daragam]] (now part of [[Wagoora–Kreeri Assembly constituency|Wagoora-Kreeri]])<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 2024 |title=Polling Station-Wise Data |url=https://ceojk.nic.in/pdf/Lok_sabha_2024/Electoral_Data_PS_03.2024.pdf |website=Chief Electoral Officer, Jammu and Kashmir |page=47}}</ref>
|-
|36
|[[Ghulam Nabi Wani]]
|[[Lolab Assembly constituency|Lolab]]
|-
|37
|Ghulam Qadir Bhat
|[[Kangan Assembly constituency|Kangan]]
|-
|38
|Ghulam Qadir Masala
|[[Drugmulla]] (now part of [[Kupwara Assembly constituency|Kupwara]])<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Election {{!}} District Kupwara, Government of Jammu & Kashmir {{!}} India |url=https://kupwara.nic.in/election/ |access-date=2024-12-01 |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|39
|Ghulam Rasool Sheikh
|[[Shopian Assembly constituency|Shopian]]
|-
|40
|[[Ghulam Rasool Kar]]
|[[Rafiabad Assembly constituency|Hamal]]
|-
|41
|Ghulam Rasool Kraipak
|[[Kishtwar Assembly constituency|Kishtwar]]
|-
|42
|Hakim Habibullah Khan
|[[Sopore Assembly constituency|Sopore]]
|-
|43
|Hem Raj Jandial
|[[Ramnagar, Jammu and Kashmir Assembly constituency|Ramnagar]]
|-
|44
|Sardar Harbans Singh Azad
|[[Baramulla Assembly constituency|Baramulla]]
|-
|45
|Syed Ibrahim Shah
|[[Kargil Assembly constituency|Kargil]]
|-
|46
|Ishar Devi Maini
|[[Jammu North Assembly constituency|Jammu North]]
|-
|47
|Janki Nath Kakroo
|[[Kothar Assembly constituency|Kothar]] (now part of [[Nagrota, Jammu and Kashmir Assembly constituency|Nagrota]])<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=4 December 2019 |title=The Journal of Parliamentary Information |url=https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/794362/1/JPI_December_2019.pdf |website=Parliament Digital Library |page=90}}</ref>
|-
|48
|Jamal-ud-Din
|[[Darhal Assembly constituency|Darhal]]
|-
|49
|Maulvi Jamaitali Shah
|[[Mendhar Assembly constituency|Mendhar]]
|-
|50
|[[19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche|Kushak Bakula]]
|[[Leh Assembly constituency|Leh]]
|-
|51
|[[Krishan Dev Sethi|Kishen Dev Sethi]]
|[[Nowshera Assembly constituency|Nowshera]]
|-
|52
|Sardar Kulbir Singh
|[[Poonch (town)|Poonch City]]
|-
|53
|Mohammad Afzal Khan
|[[Uri Assembly constituency|Uri]]
|-
|54
|Sheikh Mohammad Akbar
|[[Tangamarg Assembly constituency|Tangmarg]]
|-
|55
|Mohammad Anwar Shah
|[[Karnah Assembly constituency|Karnah]]
|-
|56
|Mohammad Ayub Khan
|[[Gool Arnas Assembly constituency|Arnas]]
|-
|57
|Syed Mohammad Jalali
|[[Budgam Assembly constituency|Badgam]]
|-
|58
|Pir Mohammad Maqbool Shah
|[[Ramhal Assembly constituency|Ramhal]] (now part of [[Kupwara Assembly constituency|Kupwara]])<ref name=":0" />
|-
|59
|[[Syed Mir Qasim]]
|[[Dooru Assembly constituency|Doru Shahabad]]
|-
|60
|[[Khwaja Mubarak Shah]]
|[[Magam]]
|-
|61
|Mansukh Rai
|[[Reasi Assembly constituency|Reasi]]
|-
|62
|Mahant Ram
|[[Basohli Assembly constituency|Basohli]]
|-
|63
|{{Ill|Moti Ram Baigra|qid=Q61944357}}
|[[Udhampur Assembly constituency|Udhampur]]
|-
|64
|Mahashay Nahar Singh
|[[Bishnah Assembly constituency|Bishnah]]
|-
|65
|Noor Dar
|[[Khowarpara Assembly constituency|Khowarpora]] (now part of [[Karnah Assembly constituency|Karnah]])<ref>{{Cite web |title=Polling Booths in Karnah Assembly Constituency, Jammu and Kashmir |url=https://www.elections.in/jammu-and-kashmir/polling-stations/karnah.html |access-date=2024-12-01 |website=Elections.in}}</ref>
|-
|66
|Noor-ud-Din Sufi
|[[Ganderbal Assembly constituency|Ganderbal]]
|-
|67
|Major Piara Singh
|[[Kathua Assembly constituency|Kathua]]
|-
|68
|Ram Chand Khajuria
|[[Billawar Assembly constituency|Billawar]]
|-
|69
|[[Ram Piara Saraf|Lala Ram Piara Saraf]]
|[[Samba Assembly constituency|Samba]]
|-
|70
|Ram Devi
|[[R. S. Pura-Jammu South Assembly constituency|Jammu South]]
|-
|71
|Ram Rakha Mal
|[[Suchetgarh Assembly constituency|Kahanachak]]
|-
|72
|Wazir Ram Saran
|[[Jandrah Gharota Assembly constituency|Jindrah Garota]] (now part of [[Nagrota, Jammu and Kashmir Assembly constituency|Nagrota]])<ref name=":1" />
|-
|73
|Ram Lal
|[[Akhnoor Assembly constituency|Akhnoor]]
|-
|74
|Sagar Singh
|[[Vijaypur, Jammu and Kashmir Assembly constituency|Purmandal]]
|-
|75
|Sana Ullah Sheikh
|[[Pulwama Assembly constituency|Pulwama]]
|}

== Government formation ==

=== Sheikh Abdullah ministry ===
Sheikh Abdullah continued as the Prime Minister of the State. Two members of the erstwhile Cabinet from the [[Jammu Division|Jammu province]], Sardar Budh Singh and Pir Mohammad Khan were dropped. [[Ghulam Mohammed Sadiq]] stepped down from his Cabinet duties to serve as the Chairman of the Constituent Assembly. The remaining members of the Cabinet were:
* [[Sheikh Abdullah]] – Prime Minister
* [[Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad]] – Deputy Prime Minister
* [[Mirza Afzal Beg]]
* Shyam Lal Saraf
* [[Girdhari Lal Dogra]]
Later on, [[D. P. Dhar]], [[Khwaja Mubarak Shah]], Major Piara Singh and Ghulam Mohiuddin Hamdani were appointed as Deputy Ministers.<ref name="Qāsim1992">{{cite book |last=Qāsim |first=Sayyid Mīr |title=My Life and Times |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KNFJKap8YxwC&pg=PA53 |year=1992 |publisher=Allied Publishers |isbn=978-81-7023-355-8 |page=53}}</ref>

=== Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad ministry ===
Following intense frictions with the Jammu Praja Parishad in Jammu and the Head Lama Kushak Bakula of Ladakh, as well as ongoing frictions with the Union government, Sheikh Abdullah was dismissed from the post of prime minister by the ''Sadr-e-Riyasat'' (head of state) [[Karan Singh]] in August 1953. Abdullah was also arrested on conspiracy charges. The deputy prime minister [[Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad]] was sworn in as the next prime minister. His Cabinet members were:
* [[Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad]] – Prime minister
* [[Ghulam Mohammed Sadiq]] – Education
* Shyam Lal Saraf – Development
* [[Girdhari Lal Dogra]] – Finance
* [[Syed Mir Qasim]] – Revenue
The 19th Kushak Bakula was appointed as a deputy minister and he pledged his support for the new government.{{sfn|Das Gupta, Jammu and Kashmir|2012|p=209}} Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad continued as the prime minister for the remaining six-year term of the Constituent Assembly. The Assembly continued with its mission of formulating the [[Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir|State Constitution]], which was adopted on 17 November 1956, coming into effect on 26 January 1957.

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book |first=Sumantra |last=Bose |author-link=Sumantra Bose |title=Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace |publisher=Harvard University Press |year=2003 |isbn=9780674011731 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3ACMe9WBdNAC |doi=10.2307/j.ctv1p6hp3k |jstor=j.ctv1p6hp3k |ref={{sfnref|Bose, Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace|2003}}}}
* {{cite book |last=Das Gupta |first=Jyoti Bhusan |title=Jammu and Kashmir |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dpTpCAAAQBAJ |date=2012 |orig-year=first published 1968 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-94-011-9231-6 |doi=10.1007/978-94-011-9231-6 |ref={{sfnref|Das Gupta, Jammu and Kashmir|2012}}}}
* {{cite journal |last=Tillin |first=Louise |title=Unite in Diversity? Asymmetry in Indian Federalism |journal=Publius: The Journal of Federalism |volume=37 |number=1 |pages=45–67 |year=2006 |doi=10.1093/publius/pjl017 |ref={{sfnref|Tillin, Asymmetry in Indian Federalism|2006}}|hdl=10.1093/publius/pjl017 |hdl-access=free }}

{{Jammu and Kashmir elections}}

[[Category:1951 in India]]
[[Category:1951 elections in India]]
[[Category:1951 State Assembly elections in India|Jammu and Kashmir]]
[[Category:State Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir|1951]]
[[Category:1950s in Jammu and Kashmir|1951]]
[[Category:Constituent Assembly elections in Asia]]

1951 Jammu and Kashmir Constituent Assembly election - Revision history

Curi Hospital at 16:31, 4 February 2026