1946 Indian provincial elections

Provincial elections were held in British India in January 1946 to elect members of the legislative councils of the Indian provinces. The Congress, in a repeat of the 1937 elections, won 90% of the general non-Muslim seats, while the Muslim League won the 87% of the Muslim seats in the provinces.

Voting in this election was conducted under a restricted franchise. Under the Government of India Act 1935, eligibility to vote was determined by various qualifications that differed by province, including property ownership, tenancy, taxation, income and education. The franchise was quite limited compared to universal suffrage, and less than 10% of the population in provinces under direct British control were eligible to vote.[2]

The All India Muslim League verified its claim to be the sole representative of Muslim India. The election laid the path to Pakistan.

These elections were followed by 1946 Indian Constituent Assembly election where Congress, under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru, secured major victory. Following this, the Interim Government of India, headed by Nehru, was formed in September 1946.