1977 Indian General Election

The post-Emergency verdict

16–20 March 1977 · The Congress system tested · 542 seats, 272 for a majority

The elections resulted in a heavy defeat for the Indian National Congress (R), with the incumbent Prime Minister and INC(R) party leader Indira Gandhi losing her seat in Rae Bareli, while her son Sanjay lost his seat in Amethi. Morarji Desai of the Janata Party took office as the first non-Congress Prime Minister on 24 March.

Prime Minister before

Indira Gandhi

INC(R)

Prime Minister after

Morarji Desai

Largest force

Janata Party

295 of 542 seats

Turnout

60.5%

The result

Sort by

Janata Party

Morarji Desai · 41.3% of votes · +209 seats

295

seats

Indian National Congress (R)

Indira Gandhi · 34.5% of votes · +198 seats

154

seats

Communist Party of India (Marxist)

Puchalapalli Sundarayya · 4.3% of votes · +3 seats

seats

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

2.9% of votes

seats

Independents

5.5% of votes · +5 seats

seats

Shiromani Akali Dal

1.3% of votes · +8 seats

seats

Communist Party of India

2.8% of votes · +16 seats

seats

Peasants and Workers Party of India

0.6% of votes · +5 seats

seats


Janata Party	JP+LF	Morarji Desai	295	+209	7,80,62,828	41.3%	+21.0
Indian National Congress (R)	INC (R)+	Indira Gandhi	154	+198	6,52,11,589	34.5%	-9.2
Communist Party of India (Marxist)	JP+LF	Puchalapalli Sundarayya	22	+3	81,13,659	4.3%	-0.8
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam	—	—	18	—	54,80,378	2.9%	—
Independents	—	—	9	+5	1,03,93,617	5.5%	—
Shiromani Akali Dal	—	—	9	+8	23,73,331	1.3%	—
Communist Party of India	—	—	7	+16	53,22,088	2.8%	—
Peasants and Workers Party of India	—	—	5	+5	10,30,232	0.6%	—

23 further seats went to parties and independents outside the main contenders listed above.