Can any Bollywood drama ever compare with the awesome spectacle of an Indian election?
Let us check out how much you know about the Great Election Tamasha.
A quiz we will publish every working day till May 13, the day we know who we have elected to the 14th Lok Sabha.
1. This controversial minister was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time from Almora in 1977. Name him. a. George Fernandes. b. Murli Manohar Joshi. c. Rajiv Pratap Rudy.
Wrong! Try again..
Wrong! The correct answer is B. Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, currently consuming so many reams of newsprint for taking on the IIMs, defeated the Congress' Narendra S Bisht. It was soon after the Emergency and the Congress was routed in Uttar Pradesh in the anti-Indira wave, not winning even one of the state's 85 seats!
Dr Joshi won over 63% of the vote. But the Kumaoni Brahmin failed to perform an encore in this constituency in the heart of his native Kumaon, losing both the 1980 and 1984 elections. He moved to Allahabad (where he taught physics for many years) in 1996, and has not lost an election since.
Correct! Dr Joshi, currently consuming so many reams of newsprint for taking on the IIMs, defeated the Congress' Narendra S Bisht. It was soon after the Emergency and the Congress was routed in Uttar Pradesh in the anti-Indira wave, not winning even one of the state's 85 seats!
Dr Joshi won over 63% of the vote. But the Kumaoni Brahmin failed to perform an encore in this constituency in the heart of his native Kumaon, losing both the 1980 and 1984 elections. He moved to Allahabad (where he taught physics for many years) in 1996, and has not lost an election since.
2. Surat in Gujarat and Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh have something in common. What? a. They are the only constituencies which registered a tie on counting day. b. They are the constituencies where the maximum by-elections have been held. c. They are the only non-Uttar Pradesh constituencies from where a prime minister has been elected.
Wrong! Try again..
Wrong! The correct answer is C. Every prime minister barring Morarji Desai from Surat in 1977 and P V Narasimha Rao from Nandyal in 1991 have been elected to the Lok Sabha from Uttar Pradesh.
Correct! Every prime minister barring Morarji Desai from Surat in 1977 and P V Narasimha Rao from Nandyal in 1991 have been elected to the Lok Sabha from Uttar Pradesh.
3. C N Annadurai 'Anna', the legendary Tamil leader who founded the DMK and after whom the Anna DMK is named, contested and won election to the Lok Sabha only once, in 1967. Which constituency did he win? a. Madras South. b. Gobichettipalayam. c. Tiruchengode.
Wrong! Try again..
Wrong! The correct answer is A. Anna resigned the Madras South seat almost immediately to head the first DMK government in Tamil Nadu. Murasoli Maran, who edited the DMK newspaper, won the by-election and held the seat till 1977, when he was defeated by the Congress' R Venkataraman who retained the seat in 1980. Venkataraman did not contest the 1984 election because he was India's vice-president by then. Actress Vyjayanthimala Bali won the seat in 1984 and 1989. The Anna DMK won the seat in 1991. In 1996, the DMK (T R Baalu) won the seat after 25 years. He retained it in 1998 and 1999.
Correct! Anna resigned the seat almost immediately to head the first DMK government in Tamil Nadu. Murasoli Maran, who edited the DMK newspaper, won the by-election and held the seat till 1977, when he was defeated by the Congress' R Venkataraman who retained the seat in 1980. Venkataraman did not contest the 1984 election because he was India's vice-president by then. Actress Vyjayanthimala Bali won the seat in 1984 and 1989. The Anna DMK won the seat in 1991. In 1996, the DMK (T R Baalu) won the seat after 25 years. He retained it in 1998 and 1999.
4. Amitabh Bachchan contested the 1984 election from Allahabad for his pal Rajiv Gandhi's party. Who was his main rival? a. V P Singh b. Atal Bihari Vajpayee c. Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna
Wrong! Try again..
Wrong! The correct answer is C. Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh for a brief while during the Emergency and arguably one of India's most knowledgable politicians, was vanquished in a one-sided contest. Bachchan took 68% of the vote. Ironically, he resigned four years later after comparing politics to a cesspool in a famous interview with Khalid Mohamed (yes, the director of Fiza and Tehzeeb). V P Singh, who had won the seat in 1980, won the by-election.
Correct! Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh for a brief while during the Emergency and arguably one of India's most knowledgable politicians, was vanquished in a one-sided contest. Bachchan took 68% of the vote. Ironically, he resigned four years later after comparing politics to a cesspool in a famous interview with Khalid Mohamed (yes, the director of Fiza and Tehzeeb). V P Singh, who had won the seat in 1980, won the by-election.
5. This Indian hockey star twice won election to the Lok Sabha from Betul in Madhya Pradesh, in 1984 and 1991. His name? a. Mohammad Shahid b. Aslam Sher Khan c. Ashok Kumar
Wrong! Try again..
Wrong! The correct answer is B. Aslam Sher Khan, the legendary full back and one of the stars of India's 1975 World Cup winning side, also lost the seat twice, in 1989 and 1996. Khan defeated the respected civil servant M N Buch in 1984, before Arif Beg trounced him in 1989. Khan wrested back the seat from Beg in 1991, before yielding to the BJP's V K Khandelwal in 1996. Interestingly, Beg left the BJP in 1996, accusing it of being anti-Muslim, while Khan joined the BJP!
Correct! Aslam Sher Khan, the legendary full back and one of the stars of India's 1975 World Cup winning side, also lost the seat twice, in 1989 and 1996. Khan defeated the respected civil servant M N Buch in 1984, before Arif Beg trounced him in 1989. Khan wrested back the seat from Beg in 1991, before yielding to the BJP's V K Khandelwal in 1996. Interestingly, Beg left the BJP in 1996, accusing it of being anti-Muslim, while Khan joined the BJP!
Election Quiz is best viewed in Internet Explorer and Netscape above version 6.0.