Kerala Communist government of 1957
Also called: Dismissal of the Kerala government in 1959 · Topic: Era of One-Party Dominance: First Elections and the Congress System · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 7 "Federalism"; Class 12, Ch 2 "Era of One-Party Dominance"
Meaning
This was the ministry led by E.M.S. Namboodiripad, formed in Kerala in 1957. It was the world's first Communist government to come to power through elections. Its reform laws faced strong protests, and the Centre dismissed it under Article 356. This is President's rule, where the Centre takes over the running of a state. The dismissal is widely cited as a misuse of this power, because the government still had its majority in the assembly.
Example
In March 1957, the CPI won 60 of 126 seats and had the support of 5 independents. The government was sworn in on 5 April 1957 and brought in the Kerala Education Bill and an Agrarian Relations Bill (land reform). After the 1959 Vimochana Samaram, President's rule took effect from midnight of 31 July 1959.
Don't confuse with
- Vimochana Samaram: the 1959 protest campaign against this government. It was not the dismissal itself, which was done by the Centre under Article 356.