The man who conducted bothIndia andSudan’s first general elections
By iastoppers.com
Sukumar Sen, born on January 2, 1899, was the first Chief Election Commissioner of India from March 21, 1950, to December 19, 1958
He conducted India's first general election, which took place between October 25, 1951, and February 21, 1952
The 1952 election saw a 45.7% voter turnout, showcasing the dedication and hard work of Sukumar Sen and the Election Commission
Sen personally visited every state to check preparations for the 1952 general election, volunteering a cut of Rs 500 from his Rs 4,000 monthly salary
Infrastructure challenges included a lack of voter education, personnel, and transportation, all of which Sen and his team overcame with innovative solutions
The election covered 489 parliamentary constituencies, with a total of 17,235 candidates contesting
Despite limited resources, Sen's efficient planning and execution included setting up 1,96,084 polling stations, including 27,527 exclusively for women voters
Sen's contributions earned him the Padma Bhushan in 1954 for his massive impact on India's electoral system
Beyond India, Sukumar Sen also conducted Sudan's first parliamentary elections in 1953, influencing the formation of the Sudanese Election Commission in 1957
Sen leveraged existing infrastructure for India's second general election in 1957, reducing costs and improving efficiency