How Many Times Has a Party Bagged More Than 50% Votes?

Individual political parties have secured more than 50% of poll votes in assembly elections, but not parliamentary.

When Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured 54.3% of the total votes in the Delhi Assembly elections of 2015, it was the first time in 25 years that a party polled more than 50% votes in a state, barring the north-east. But how many times has it happened since 1950 that a party secured more than 50% of the polled votes in an Assembly or Parliament elections?

Note: This analysis does not consider coalitions winning more than 50% votes, but only an individual political party.

It has happened on 41 occasions in the past.

No individual party has ever secured more than 50% votes in a Parliamentary Election, but in Assembly elections, an individual party secured more than 50% of the votes on 41 occasions (including Delhi 2015). Below is the complete list.

Disclaimer: The ** states do not exist anymore.

Where Did This Happen Most Often?

A quick look at the states reveals that it happened in almost all regions of the country (north, east, west & south). It happened six times in Sikkim, four times in Gujarat, three times each in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka.

Which Party Achieved This Most Times?

No prizes for guessing here. Congress party achieved this most number of times (30) followed by the two Sikkim-based regional parties. The AAP, Janata Dal, Janata Party, National Conference & Telugu Desam Party have achieved this once each. The Congress achieved this feat when it was essentially a two party election and mainly before 1980.

When Did This Mostly Occur?

This sort of a mandate was given quite a few times in every decade up to 1990. Since then, the number of times where a party polled more than 50% of the total vote has been continuously declining.

After 1990, it happened only on 9 occasions. Of these 9 occasions, the north-eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland & Sikkim accounted for eight. So in the last 27 years, Delhi assembly elections of 2015 was the only occasion when a party polled more than 50% votes outside the north-eastern states.

There could be multiple reasons like the emergence of strong regional parties in the last three decades, multiple parties in the fray, alliances, etc. Elections are no more a two party affair.

Which Party Won the Biggest Mandate Ever?

The highest vote share ever recorded in India is 71.09% won by the Sikkim Democratic Front in 2004. In fact, three Sikkim-based parties feature in the top 5. The National Conference won almost 67% of the votes in 1962 in Jammu & Kashmir. AAP’s 54.3% in Delhi 2015 assembly elections is 14th in the list.

Did Any Party Win a Greater Percentage of Seats Than AAP in Delhi 2015?

The AAP secured 54.3% of the total votes in 2015, but won 67 out of the 70 seats which is a whopping 95.7% of the total seats. While this is on the higher side, it is not the highest. In Sikkim, the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) & the Sikkim Sangram Parishad (SSP) made a clean sweep, winning all the 32 seats on offer. The SSP did this in 1989 and the SDF in 2009. In terms of the percentage of seats won (of those parties that won more than 50% vote share), AAP stands 4th and all the other positions in the top 5 occupied by the Sikkim parties.

(This article was first published on FACTLY and has been republished with permission.)