May 13, 1952

Jawaharlal Nehru

Nehru's First Elected Cabinet Takes Office After India's General Election

The listing calls it Nehru's first government. He had headed India's since 1947; what was new that day was the electorate standing behind it.

Three constitutional beginnings in one morning

On 13 May 1952, Jawaharlal Nehru and a 15-member cabinet were sworn in after the Indian National Congress won India's first general election under the Constitution. Congress had taken 364 of the 489 Lok Sabha seats contested.

The first sittings of the Lok Sabha and the Council of States opened the same morning at 10:45 in New Delhi. The first parliamentary sitting began with two minutes of silence before any member took the oath.

Rajendra Prasad assumed office that day as the first Indian president chosen through a constitutional presidential election.

Not his first government

Calling this Nehru's first government is misleading unless "first elected" is meant. He had headed the interim government from 1946, independent India's government from 1947, and the Republic's from 1950.

The election itself was not a 1951 event either. Polling ran from October 1951 through February 1952.

What changed on 13 May was the democratic and parliamentary basis of a premiership Nehru already held.

Who took which portfolio

Nehru retained external affairs. C. D. Deshmukh held finance, N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar defence, Kailash Nath Katju home affairs and states, and Abul Kalam Azad continued in charge of education.

In the new House, Nehru was the first member called to take the oath — not as prime minister, but as the elected representative of Allahabad East cum Jaunpur West. G. V. Mavalankar was appointed to discharge the speaker's functions while the House organized itself.

Three days later President Prasad addressed the first Parliament and described the constitutional composition of the legislature and state leadership as complete.

Sources

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What the sources leave uncertain

Calling this Nehru's “first government” is misleading unless “first elected government” is intended. He had already headed the interim government from 1946, independent India's government from 1947, and the Republic's government from 1950.
Some modern ministry tables give April 15 as the start of Nehru's second ministry, and the Nehru Archive labels an oath photograph April 13. Contemporary newspaper coverage, parliamentary recollection, cabinet portfolio dates, and current Indian government usage support May 13 for the elected cabinet's swearing-in and elected premiership.