Let us check out how much you know about the Great Election Tamasha.
A quiz we will publish every working day till May 13, the day we know who we have elected to the 14th Lok Sabha.
1. You would think the Akalis dominate Punjab politics, but the party has never won 4 of the state's 13 seats. Identify these 4 seats. a. Sangrur, Tarn Tarn, Bhatinda and Faridkot. b. Patiala, Jalandhar, Ropar and Ludhiana. c. Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur and Phillaur.Wrong! Try again..Wrong!The correct answer is C.. Amazingly, the Akalis have never won Amritsar, where the holiest Sikh shrine, the Golden Temple, is located. Barring 1967, 1977 and 1998, when it has been won by candidates from the Jan Sangh, Janata Party and BJP, Congress candidates have retained the seat time and again. Raghunandan Lal Bhatia, minister of state for external affairs in the Narasimha Rao government and the man who will take on the BJP's Navjot Singh Sidhu this time, has won Amritsar in 1980, 1985, 1992, 1996 and 1999. It has been the same story in Gurdaspur, where barring 1977, 1998 and 1999 (Janata Party, BJP, BJP), it has been a Congress bastion. Barring 1977, the Congress had never lost Hoshiapur till 1996, when Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Kanshi Ram defeated the Congress's Kamal Chaudhury, who had won the seat thrice since 1985. In 1998, Chaudhry switched parties and won as a BJP candidate. In 1999, he was defeated by the Congress' Charanjit Singh Channi. Phillahur is one of the two seats where the BSP opened its Lok Sabha account in 1989. Until then it had been a Congress bastion with the CPI-M winning it once, inevitably in 1977. In 1996, the BSP's Harbhajan Lakha -- its 1989 winner -- won the seat again. In 1998, Independent Satnam Singh Kainth defeated the Congress, before it returned to the Congress fold in 1999. Correct!Amazingly, the Akalis have never won Amritsar, where the holiest Sikh shrine, the Golden Temple, is located. Barring 1967, 1977 and 1998, when it has been won by candidates from the Jan Sangh, Janata Party and BJP, Congress candidates have retained the seat time and again. Raghunandan Lal Bhatia, minister of state for external affairs in the Narasimha Rao government and the man who will take on the BJP's Navjot Singh Sidhu this time, has won Amritsar in 1980, 1985, 1992, 1996 and 1999. It has been the same story in Gurdaspur, where barring 1977, 1998 and 1999 (Janata Party, BJP, BJP), it has been a Congress bastion. Barring 1977, the Congress had never lost Hoshiapur till 1996, when Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Kanshi Ram defeated the Congress's Kamal Chaudhury, who had won the seat thrice since 1985. In 1998, Chaudhry switched parties and won as a BJP candidate. In 1999, he was defeated by the Congress' Charanjit Singh Channi. Phillahur is one of the two seats where the BSP opened its Lok Sabha account in 1989. Until then it had been a Congress bastion with the CPI-M winning it once, inevitably in 1977. In 1996, the BSP's Harbhajan Lakha -- its 1989 winner -- won the seat again. In 1998, Independent Satnam Singh Kainth defeated the Congress, before it returned to the Congress fold in 1999. 2. In the 1977 election, the Congress won only two seats in Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan. Chhindwara in MP was one of them, which was the other? a. Agra, UP. b. Araria, Bihar. c. Nagaur, Rajasthan.Wrong! Try again..Wrong!The correct answer is C.Nathuram Mirdha, who won the 1971 election, easily won the 1977 election, despite the anti-Congress wave sweeping north India. He retained the seat for the Congress-Urs in 1980. In 1984 he was defeated by kinsman Ram Niwas Mirdha of the Congress. In 1989, contesting on the Janata Dal ticket, Nathuram Mirdha defeated Ram Niwas Mirdha. In 1991 Nathuram Mirdha rejoined the Congress, for which party he won the seat in 1991 and 1996. That his popularity was undiminished can be seen from the 1996 result: he defeated his BJP rival H Kumawat by almost 160,000 votes. Sadly, he died soon after, and his son, contesting on a BJP ticket, won the by-election. The Congress retained the seat in 1998, when its candidate Ram Raghunath Choudhary defeated Ricchapal Singh Mirdha by 103,699 votes. Choudhary retained the seat in 1999. Correct!Nathuram Mirdha, who won the 1971 election, easily won the 1977 election, despite the anti-Congress wave sweeping north India. He retained the seat for the Congress-Urs in 1980. In 1984 he was defeated by kinsman Ram Niwas Mirdha of the Congress. In 1989, contesting on the Janata Dal ticket, Nathuram Mirdha defeated Ram Niwas Mirdha. In 1991 Nathuram Mirdha rejoined the Congress, for which party he won the seat in 1991 and 1996. That his popularity was undiminished can be seen from the 1996 result: he defeated his BJP rival H Kumawat by almost 160,000 votes. Sadly, he died soon after, and his son, contesting on a BJP ticket, won the by-election. The Congress retained the seat in 1998, when its candidate Ram Raghunath Choudhary defeated Ricchapal Singh Mirdha by 103,699 votes. Choudhary retained the seat in 1999. 3. 1. In 1971, then General K M Cariappa, independent India's first Indian chief of the army staff, contested the election from where? a. Kolar, Karnataka. b. New Delhi. c. Bombay North East.Wrong! Try again..Wrong! The correct answer is C.Cariappa, later elevated to Field Marshal, stood as an Independent and, alas, came in third behind the Congress' trade unionist candidate Raja Kulkarni and the Jan Sangh's M S Agaskar. Cariappa won 17.3% of the votes against Kulkarni's 54.4% and Agaskar's 20.8% in what was then India's largest constituency, voter-wise. Correct!Cariappa, later elevated to Field Marshal, stood as an Independent and, alas, came in third behind the Congress' trade unionist candidate Raja Kulkarni and the Jan Sangh's M S Agaskar. Cariappa won 17.3% of the votes against Kulkarni's 54.4% and Agaskar's 20.8% in what was then India's largest constituency, voter-wise. 4. New Delhi returned the lady who would later become India's first lady chief minister twice to the Lok Sabha, in 1952 and 1957. Her name? a. Sucheta Kripalani. b. Rajkumari Amrit Kaur. c. Padmaja Naidu.Wrong! Try again..Wrong! The correct answer is A.Sucheta Kripalani, wife of the towering Gandhian, Acharya J B Kripalani, won the 1952 election as a candidate of the Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party (a party her husband founded), defeating the Congress candidate. In 1957, she contested as a Congress candidate and vanquished the Jan Sangh's Balraj Madhok. Appropriately, on October 2, 1963, this Gandhian became India's first woman chief minister, when she became chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. She ruled UP till 1967, won the Lok Sabha election from Gonda that year and passed into the ages seven years later.Correct!Sucheta Kripalani, wife of the towering Gandhian, Acharya J B Kripalani, won the 1952 election as a candidate of the Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party (a party her husband founded), defeating the Congress candidate. In 1957, she contested as a Congress candidate and vanquished the Jan Sangh's Balraj Madhok. Appropriately, on October 2, 1963, this Gandhian became India's first woman chief minister, when she became chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. She ruled UP till 1967, won the Lok Sabha election from Gonda that year and passed into the ages seven years later.5. The Congress won an unprecedented number of seats in the 1984 election. How many seats did it win? a. 420. b. 415. c. 408.Wrong! Try again..Wrong! The correct answer is B.The BJP won just 2 of the 229 seats it contested, the Janata Party 10 of the 219 it contested, the Lok Dal, three of 174 it contested. Only the CPI-M emerged with some dignity intact, winning 22 seats of the 64 seats it contested. Guess which party won the most seats after the Congress that election? The Telugu Desam, which had been founded just the previous year! It won 30 of the 34 seats it contested! Correct!The BJP won just 2 of the 229 seats it contested, the Janata Party 10 of the 219 it contested, the Lok Dal, three of 174 it contested. Only the CPI-M emerged with some dignity intact, winning 22 seats of the 64 seats it contested. Guess which party won the most seats after the Congress that election? The Telugu Desam, which had been founded just the previous year! It won 30 of the 34 seats it contested! Election Quiz is best viewed in Internet Explorer and Netscape above version 6.0.Quiz 1Quiz 2Quiz 3Quiz 4Quiz 5Quiz 6Quiz 7Quiz 8Quiz 9Quiz 10Quiz 11Quiz 12Quiz 13Quiz 14Quiz 15Quiz 16Quiz 17Quiz 18Quiz 19Quiz 20Compiled by G K GokhaleImage: Uttam Ghosh
2. In the 1977 election, the Congress won only two seats in Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan. Chhindwara in MP was one of them, which was the other? a. Agra, UP. b. Araria, Bihar. c. Nagaur, Rajasthan.Wrong! Try again..Wrong!The correct answer is C.Nathuram Mirdha, who won the 1971 election, easily won the 1977 election, despite the anti-Congress wave sweeping north India. He retained the seat for the Congress-Urs in 1980. In 1984 he was defeated by kinsman Ram Niwas Mirdha of the Congress. In 1989, contesting on the Janata Dal ticket, Nathuram Mirdha defeated Ram Niwas Mirdha. In 1991 Nathuram Mirdha rejoined the Congress, for which party he won the seat in 1991 and 1996. That his popularity was undiminished can be seen from the 1996 result: he defeated his BJP rival H Kumawat by almost 160,000 votes. Sadly, he died soon after, and his son, contesting on a BJP ticket, won the by-election. The Congress retained the seat in 1998, when its candidate Ram Raghunath Choudhary defeated Ricchapal Singh Mirdha by 103,699 votes. Choudhary retained the seat in 1999. Correct!Nathuram Mirdha, who won the 1971 election, easily won the 1977 election, despite the anti-Congress wave sweeping north India. He retained the seat for the Congress-Urs in 1980. In 1984 he was defeated by kinsman Ram Niwas Mirdha of the Congress. In 1989, contesting on the Janata Dal ticket, Nathuram Mirdha defeated Ram Niwas Mirdha. In 1991 Nathuram Mirdha rejoined the Congress, for which party he won the seat in 1991 and 1996. That his popularity was undiminished can be seen from the 1996 result: he defeated his BJP rival H Kumawat by almost 160,000 votes. Sadly, he died soon after, and his son, contesting on a BJP ticket, won the by-election. The Congress retained the seat in 1998, when its candidate Ram Raghunath Choudhary defeated Ricchapal Singh Mirdha by 103,699 votes. Choudhary retained the seat in 1999. 3. 1. In 1971, then General K M Cariappa, independent India's first Indian chief of the army staff, contested the election from where? a. Kolar, Karnataka. b. New Delhi. c. Bombay North East.Wrong! Try again..Wrong! The correct answer is C.Cariappa, later elevated to Field Marshal, stood as an Independent and, alas, came in third behind the Congress' trade unionist candidate Raja Kulkarni and the Jan Sangh's M S Agaskar. Cariappa won 17.3% of the votes against Kulkarni's 54.4% and Agaskar's 20.8% in what was then India's largest constituency, voter-wise. Correct!Cariappa, later elevated to Field Marshal, stood as an Independent and, alas, came in third behind the Congress' trade unionist candidate Raja Kulkarni and the Jan Sangh's M S Agaskar. Cariappa won 17.3% of the votes against Kulkarni's 54.4% and Agaskar's 20.8% in what was then India's largest constituency, voter-wise. 4. New Delhi returned the lady who would later become India's first lady chief minister twice to the Lok Sabha, in 1952 and 1957. Her name? a. Sucheta Kripalani. b. Rajkumari Amrit Kaur. c. Padmaja Naidu.Wrong! Try again..Wrong! The correct answer is A.Sucheta Kripalani, wife of the towering Gandhian, Acharya J B Kripalani, won the 1952 election as a candidate of the Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party (a party her husband founded), defeating the Congress candidate. In 1957, she contested as a Congress candidate and vanquished the Jan Sangh's Balraj Madhok. Appropriately, on October 2, 1963, this Gandhian became India's first woman chief minister, when she became chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. She ruled UP till 1967, won the Lok Sabha election from Gonda that year and passed into the ages seven years later.Correct!Sucheta Kripalani, wife of the towering Gandhian, Acharya J B Kripalani, won the 1952 election as a candidate of the Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party (a party her husband founded), defeating the Congress candidate. In 1957, she contested as a Congress candidate and vanquished the Jan Sangh's Balraj Madhok. Appropriately, on October 2, 1963, this Gandhian became India's first woman chief minister, when she became chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. She ruled UP till 1967, won the Lok Sabha election from Gonda that year and passed into the ages seven years later.5. The Congress won an unprecedented number of seats in the 1984 election. How many seats did it win? a. 420. b. 415. c. 408.Wrong! Try again..Wrong! The correct answer is B.The BJP won just 2 of the 229 seats it contested, the Janata Party 10 of the 219 it contested, the Lok Dal, three of 174 it contested. Only the CPI-M emerged with some dignity intact, winning 22 seats of the 64 seats it contested. Guess which party won the most seats after the Congress that election? The Telugu Desam, which had been founded just the previous year! It won 30 of the 34 seats it contested! Correct!The BJP won just 2 of the 229 seats it contested, the Janata Party 10 of the 219 it contested, the Lok Dal, three of 174 it contested. Only the CPI-M emerged with some dignity intact, winning 22 seats of the 64 seats it contested. Guess which party won the most seats after the Congress that election? The Telugu Desam, which had been founded just the previous year! It won 30 of the 34 seats it contested! Election Quiz is best viewed in Internet Explorer and Netscape above version 6.0.
3. 1. In 1971, then General K M Cariappa, independent India's first Indian chief of the army staff, contested the election from where? a. Kolar, Karnataka. b. New Delhi. c. Bombay North East.
4. New Delhi returned the lady who would later become India's first lady chief minister twice to the Lok Sabha, in 1952 and 1957. Her name? a. Sucheta Kripalani. b. Rajkumari Amrit Kaur. c. Padmaja Naidu.
5. The Congress won an unprecedented number of seats in the 1984 election. How many seats did it win? a. 420. b. 415. c. 408.
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Compiled by G K GokhaleImage: Uttam Ghosh
