The 1952 Seletar
by-election
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...
for the
Legislative Council of Singapore
The Legislative Council of the Colony of Singapore was the legislative council of Singapore that assisted the governor in making laws in the colony. It officially came into existence in 1946, when the Straits Settlements (Repeal) Act 1946 a ...
was scheduled on 20 December 1952,
after the resignation of incumbent
Vilasini Menon
Vilasini Menon was a Singaporean lawyer and politician. She became the first woman elected to national office in Singapore when she was elected to the Legislative Council in 1951.
Biography
Menon attended the University of Madras
The Uni ...
on 25 September 1952. Menon was charged with a criminal breach of trust in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, along with her lawyer husband.
The by-election did not take place as scheduled as its sole running candidate, Madai Puthan Damodaran Nair, was elected as the constituency's councilor in an uncontested walkover.
Background
Vilasini Menon was elected as Legislative Councilor for the Seletar constituency of the Legislative Council of Singapore in the
1951 general election.
Menon and her lawyer husband was later charged with a criminal breach of trust in India.
As a result, she voluntarily resigned her seat on 25 September 1952 which triggered a by-election in the Seletar constituency.
The writ of election was issued on 28 October 1952 with nomination day set on 19 November.
Campaign
Only the independent City Councilor Madai Puthan Damodaran Nair filed in his candidacy for the by-election.
Election
Since Nair is the only candidate in the by-election, he was elected as a Legislative Councilor through a walkover. The by-election no longer took place as scheduled.
Nair was sworn into office on 16 December 1952.
He initially refused to be sworn in unless the demands of the constituency's Naval Base Union members were met.
Results
References
{{Singapore elections
1952
Events January–February
* January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses.
* February 6
** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...
Seletar by-election
Seletar by-election
Seletar by-election