History of Modern Haryana after independence | HPSC Preparation: All subjects - HPSC (Haryana) PDF Download

The First General Election in Free India in 1952

• The 1952 general election marked the start of a new phase in free India's history. Prior to this election, the elected members of the Punjab Legislative Council in 1946 continued to hold their positions after India gained independence until 1952. 
• During this election, the Congress party contested 59 out of 61 seats in the Haryana region, which included Ambala, Kamal, Jind, Rohtak, Gurgaon, Mahendergarh, and Hissar districts. The Congress won 51 seats, securing 40.1% of the total votes. 
• The newly formed Jan Sangh party contested 25 seats but only managed to win 2 seats. In the pre-independence era, the Zamindara Party was the strongest party in this region, but during this election, it only received 16.8% of the votes.
• The Kisan Majdoor Praja Party ran for a single seat and was successful in winning it. The Akali Dal also participated in the election by contesting for two seats, out of which it managed to win one. 
• The Socialist Party had 27 candidates in the running, but unfortunately, none of them were able to secure a seat. 
• Both the Communist Party of India and the Depressed Classes League contested for only one seat each, but their candidates lost their security deposits. The remaining four seats were won by Independent candidates, who secured 29.6% of the total votes.

The Second General Election of 1957

• The 1957 General Election was a distinct departure from the previous election in many ways. One noticeable difference was the decrease in the number of seats, candidates, independents, political parties, and candidates who lost their deposits.
• The Scheduled Caste Federation, a new political party in the election, managed to win 4 seats but only received 5.3% of the total votes. Another new party, the Praja Socialist Party, contested for 9 seats but was unable to secure any seats and only received 1.8% of the total votes. 
• However, independent candidates performed relatively better by winning 6 seats out of 102 candidates, which was an improvement from the previous election where they won 4 seats out of 55 candidates, and they received 10.9% of the total votes.
• In 1967, the first election for the Haryana Legislative Assembly took place. The Indian National Congress emerged as the winner, securing 48 seats with 41.33% of the total votes. The Bhartiya Jan Sangh was the second most successful party, winning 12 seats and receiving 14.39% of the votes. 
• The Swatantra Party and Republic Party of India won 3 seats and 2 seats, respectively, with 3.18% and 2.90% of the votes. However, other political parties such as CPI, CPM, PSP, and SSP were not successful in winning any seats.
• In 1968, a mid-term election was held for the Haryana Legislative Assembly. The Congress party was able to maintain its position by winning 48 seats, but the Bhartiya Jan Sangh suffered a setback, only winning 7 seats compared to their previous win of 12 seats. 
• A newly formed party, the VHP, was able to secure 16 seats in this election. Other political parties that were successful included BKD, RPI, and Swatantra Party, which won 1, 1, and 2 seats respectively. However, independent candidates faced a setback as they were only able to win 5 seats in this election, compared to their previous win of 16 seats.
• In 1972, under the Chief Ministership of Bansi Lal, Haryana went to the polls. This election was significant in several ways. Firstly, the Congress party improved its position, winning 52 seats and securing 46.91% of the votes. Secondly, the Congress (O) party, formed after the split in 1969, was able to win 12 seats and secure 10.80% of the votes. Thirdly, the Jan Sangh and VHP suffered a setback, only winning 2 and 3 seats respectively and securing 6.55% and 6.94% of the votes. 
• The Akhil Bhartiya Arya Sabha (BAS) was another successful party, winning only 1 seat and securing 2.21% of the votes. However, the position of independent candidates improved as they won 11 seats and secured 23.57% of the votes. Bansi Lal's leadership provided Haryana with a stable government during this election.

Comparison of Congress and Independent performance in 1972 elections with the mid-term poll

• In the 1972 elections in Haryana, the Congress party and the Independents showed improvement in their position as compared to the mid-term poll. The Congress won 52 seats, an increase from 48 seats won in the mid-term poll. The party also polled 46.9% votes, which was higher than the 43.8% votes received in the mid-term poll.
• The Congress emerged as the top-performing political party by winning the highest number of seats and securing the greatest percentage of votes in all seven districts. In some constituencies, the margin by which Congress candidates defeated their opponents was greater than the margin by which the opposition candidates had defeated Congress candidates in previous elections. 
• The Congress party made gains in Hissar, Ambala, Gurgaon, and Mahendergarh districts, where the impact of economic development was clearly visible. However, the Congress party faced a reduction in both seats and percentage of votes in Jind and Rohtak districts.
• The June 1977 election in Haryana was a crucial one for the Congress party, as they suffered a significant defeat by winning only 3 seats despite securing 17.15% votes. 38 Congress candidates lost their deposits in the election. 
• In contrast, the newly formed Janata Party won 75 seats with 46.70% of votes and only three of its candidates lost their deposits. The VHP was the only other successful party, winning 5 seats with 5.96% of votes, but 19 of its candidates lost their deposits. The independents won 7 seats and secured 29.03% of votes.
• The Assembly Elections were marked by a fear among the people of Haryana that the old Bansi Lal-led caucus may re-emerge, which contributed to the voters rejecting the Congress party. The development programs were not implemented effectively across the entire population, resulting in the Congress leadership losing touch with the grassroots of politics. 
• The factional fights within the Janata Party also did not benefit the Congress. The urban and rural poor, especially the scheduled castes and backward castes who had previously supported the Congress, shifted their support away from the party in this election.
• In the 1977 Lok Sabha Elections, the Congress Party in Haryana suffered a major decline in its support base, except in the Bhiwani Lok Sabha constituency where the local influence of Bansi Lal, the Congress candidate, helped to mitigate the negative trend. This decline was primarily caused by national factors, while local factors exacerbated the trend.

Water dispute between Punjab and Haryana after independence

• For many years, water conflicts have plagued Punjab, and despite the availability of legal and constitutional provisions, the issue remains unresolved due to its entanglement in politics. Water distribution and politics are closely linked in this region, and the establishment of tribunals, awards, notifications by the central government, and references to the Supreme Court to settle the dispute have only resulted in excessive delays. 
• The issue has become so politicized that it has become an emotional matter. The root of the conflict lies in the division of Punjab in 1947 during India's partition and again in 1966 when Punjab and Haryana were formed from the erstwhile Punjab state. The demand for more water to support water-intensive agriculture has only exacerbated the situation.
• The primary parties involved in the water conflict are Punjab and Haryana, although Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh are also involved. There are two main types of disputes: one regarding the allocation of water and the other regarding the SYL canal.
• The dispute regarding water allocation centers around the Ravi-Beas waters, and concerns the amount of water available and how it should be divided among the states of Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir, New Delhi, and Punjab. 
• The issue also involves determining the fair share of each state, with Rajasthan having a claim due to its foothold in the region since 1955. The main question is whether these states should continue to receive their allocated share of water, or whether they should be denied their share or receive a reduced amount. Punjab argues that, as a riparian state, it deserves all the water and is reluctant to share with other states, especially Haryana.
• The second dispute is related to the building of the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, which aims to provide Haryana with its allocated share of water. The canal originates from the Bhakra Dam and begins at the tail end of the Anandpur Sahib canal near Nangal, and then it joins the western Yamuna canal to collect water from the Ravi and Beas rivers. 
• This canal has been a contentious issue between Punjab and Haryana as Punjab does not want to share its water with Haryana, which the canal is designed to carry. Punjab argues that since it is a riparian state through which rivers like Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej flow, it has the right to decide how much water to allocate to other states. However, Haryana claims that since it was a part of Punjab before 1966, it has the right to river waters as a co-riparian state. These arguments showcase the complexity of the issue.