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. Right from the first election in 1967, the people of this Union Territory have voted for only one MP. What constituency? a. Pondicherry. b. Daman and Diu. c. Lakshadweep.Wrong! Try again..Wrong!The correct answer is C. P M Sayeed, deputy speaker in the last Lok Sabha, was elected for the first time as an Independent. In 1980 he was part of the Congress-Urs party, but otherwise he has remained with the Congress all through. From 1977 to 1998, Sayeed faced the same opponent: Mohammed Koya. In 1999 Sayeed's winning margin, which had fallen to 300 votes in 1991, 1,134 votes in 1996, and 964 votes in 1998, rose to 3,189 votes in 1999 against a new opponent, P K Muthukoya of the Janata Dal-United. Sayeed was also the youngest-ever person to win election to the Lok Sabha in 1967, at age 25.Correct!P M Sayeed, deputy speaker in the last Lok Sabha, was elected for the first time as an Independent. In 1980 he was part of the Congress-Urs party, but otherwise he has remained with the Congress all through. From 1977 to 1998, Sayeed faced the same opponent: Mohammed Koya. In 1999 Sayeed's winning margin, which had fallen to 300 votes in 1991, 1,134 votes in 1996, and 964 votes in 1998, rose to 3,189 votes in 1999 against a new opponent, P K Muthukoya of the Janata Dal-United. Sayeed was also the youngest-ever person to win election to the Lok Sabha in 1967, at age 25.2. Who would have thought Dr Manmohan Singh would be defeated in an urban constituency? But he was, in the 1999 Lok Sabha election. Which constituency vanquished the man who initiated economic reforms in India? a. Chandini Chowk. b. South Delhi. c. New Delhi.Wrong! Try again..Wrong!The correct answer is B.Nothing worked in Dr Singh's favour. Not his reputation as India's Reformer No 1. Not the fact that he was a Sikh in a constituency where Sikhs number 75,000 to 100,000. Not the fact that the Congress won seven of the constituency's 11 assembly segments in the November 1998 assembly election. He still lost to the BJP's Vijay Kishore Malhotra (who first won it in 1977) by 29,919 votes. In the 1998 Lok Sabha election Sushma Swaraj defeated her Congress rival Ajay Maken in South Delhi by 116,713 votes. Maken's uncle Lalit Maken had won the seat in 1984, but was assassinated along with his wife Geetanjali by Khalistani extremists in March 1985. Arjun Singh, who resigned as governor of Punjab, won the ensuing by-election. Madanlal Khurana brought the seat back to the BJP fold in 1989; it has stayed there since. In 1996 Swaraj beat the Congress' Kapil Sibal by 114,006 votes. She moved to Bellary in 1999 to contest against Sonia Gandhi, but lost that election. Correct!Nothing worked in Dr Singh's favour. Not his reputation as India's Reformer No 1. Not the fact that he was a Sikh in a constituency where Sikhs number 75,000 to 100,000. Not the fact that the Congress won seven of the constituency's 11 assembly segments in the November 1998 assembly election. He still lost to the BJP's Vijay Kishore Malhotra (who first won it in 1977) by 29,919 votes. In the 1998 Lok Sabha election Sushma Swaraj defeated her Congress rival Ajay Maken in South Delhi by 116,713 votes. Maken's uncle Lalit Maken had won the seat in 1984, but was assassinated along with his wife Geetanjali by Khalistani extremists in March 1985. Arjun Singh, who resigned as governor of Punjab, won the ensuing by-election. Madanlal Khurana brought the seat back to the BJP fold in 1989; it has stayed there since. In 1996 Swaraj beat the Congress' Kapil Sibal by 114,006 votes. She moved to Bellary in 1999 to contest against Sonia Gandhi, but lost that election. 3. Barpeta, Nandyal, Hoshiarpur, Madras South and Ottapallam have one thing in common. What? a. They registered the maximum forfeiture of deposits. b. They elected film stars to Parliament. c. They all elected candidates who went on to become Presidents of India.Wrong! Try again..Wrong!The correct answer is C.Barpeta elected Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed to Parliament in 1971. In 1974, he succeeded V V Giri as India's fourth President, but died in February 1977 before completing his full term. Ahmed was succeeded by Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, who was elected from Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh in the 1977 Lok Sabha election. It was sweet justice for Reddy, who had been deprived of the Presidency despite being the official Congress nominee in 1969. Indira Gandhi had split the Congress party rather than endorse Reddy. Her candidate V V Giri won the ensuing Presidential election. Giani Zail Singh was elected from Hoshiarpur -- the only Lok Sabha election he contested -- in 1980 before Indira Gandhi decided he should succeed Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy as President in 1982. Another man elected to the Lok Sabha in 1980 from Madras South, Ramaswamy Venkataraman, was anointed vice-president, before becoming President in 1987. In 1992, P V Narasimha Rao invited K R Narayanan, who represented Ottapallam in Kerala in 1984, 1989 and 1991, to become the nation's vice-president. In 1997, he ascended to the Presidency. His predecessor, Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma, also won election to the Lok Sabha in 1971 and 1980, but that was many years before he became India's vice-president (1987) and President (1992). Correct!Barpeta elected Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed to Parliament in 1971. In 1974, he succeeded V V Giri as India's fourth President, but died in February 1977 before completing his full term. Ahmed was succeeded by Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, who was elected from Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh in the 1977 Lok Sabha election. It was sweet justice for Reddy, who had been deprived of the Presidency despite being the official Congress nominee in 1969. Indira Gandhi had split the Congress party rather than endorse Reddy. Her candidate V V Giri won the ensuing Presidential election. Giani Zail Singh was elected from Hoshiarpur -- the only Lok Sabha election he contested -- in 1980 before Indira Gandhi decided he should succeed Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy as President in 1982. Another man elected to the Lok Sabha in 1980 from Madras South, Ramaswamy Venkataraman, was anointed vice-president, before becoming President in 1987. In 1992, P V Narasimha Rao invited K R Narayanan, who represented Ottapallam in Kerala in 1984, 1989 and 1991, to become the nation's vice-president. In 1997, he ascended to the Presidency. His predecessor, Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma, also won election to the Lok Sabha in 1971 and 1980, but that was many years before he became India's vice-president (1987) and President (1992). 4. George Fernandes moves back to Muzaffarpur this election. When did he first contest an election from this Bihar constituency? a. 1977. b. 1971. c. 1984.Wrong! Try again..Wrong!The correct answer is A.India's best-known Socialist first contested an election from Muzaffarpur in 1977. Interestingly, Fernandes was in prison at that time, having been arrested in what was called the Baroda Dynamite Case. He won that year, repeated his success in 1980. He moved to Bangalore North in 1984, but was vanquished by the sympathy vote in the wake of the Indira Gandhi assassination. His Congress rival C K Jaffer Sharief winning the election handsomely. Fernandes returned to Muzaffarpur in 1989, won easily, again duplicating his success in 1991. He moved to Nalanda in 1996, winning a hat-trick, even though his margin of victory fell steadily (167,864 in 1996, 115,670 in 1998 and 105,821 in 1999). Muzaffarpur has been represented by Captain Jai Nishad since 1996. He won it for the Janata Dal in 1996 with an 80,074 margin that year; that margin dropped to 21,923 in 1998 as a Rashtriya Janata Dal nominee. In 1999, contesting the seat on a Janata Dal-U ticket, he retained it easily against his former RJD party, by 60,720 votes.Correct!India's best-known Socialist first contested an election from Muzaffarpur in 1977. Interestingly, Fernandes was in prison at that time, having been arrested in what was called the Baroda Dynamite Case. He won that year, repeated his success in 1980. He moved to Bangalore North in 1984, but was vanquished by the sympathy vote in the wake of the Indira Gandhi assassination. His Congress rival C K Jaffer Sharief winning the election handsomely. Fernandes returned to Muzaffarpur in 1989, won easily, again duplicating his success in 1991. He moved to Nalanda in 1996, winning a hat-trick, even though his margin of victory fell steadily (167,864 in 1996, 115,670 in 1998 and 105,821 in 1999). Muzaffarpur has been represented by Captain Jai Nishad since 1996. He won it for the Janata Dal in 1996 with an 80,074 margin that year; that margin dropped to 21,923 in 1998 as a Rashtriya Janata Dal nominee. In 1999, contesting the seat on a Janata Dal-U ticket, he retained it easily against his former RJD party, by 60,720 votes.5. This Gujarat constituency has been represented by among others Fatehsinhrao Gaekwad and Dipika Chikhalia, who played Sita in Ramanand Sagar's teleserial Ramayan. Which one are we talking about? a. Anand. b. Rajkot. c. Baroda.Wrong! Try again..Wrong!The correct answer is C.Between 1957 and 1984, this constituency was represented by the Gaekwads -- first the cricket-loving Fatehsinhrao (beloved manager of the Indian team who toured Pakistan in 1978) and then his younger brother Ranjitsinh -- six times. The only break came in 1967 when was there was no Gaekwad in the fray. In 1989, the Janata Dal defeated sitting Congress Ranjitsinh Gaekwad. In 1991, fresh from her triumph as Sita, Dipika, representing the BJP, inflicted defeat on Ranjitsinh yet again. In 1996, Satyajitsinh Gaekwad wrested the seat back for the Congress, but his margin over his BJP rival was a mere 17 votes! Another Gaekwad in the fray as an Independent took away more than 10,000 votes. In 1998, Jayaben Thakkar (BJP) increased that margin of victory by 52,400 more votes and defeated Satyajitsinh (52,417 votes). By 1999, Jayaben had increased her margin by 92,649 votes over the Congress' Urmilaben Patel, wife of the late Gujarat chief minister Chimanbhai Patel. Correct!Between 1957 and 1984, this constituency was represented by the Gaekwads -- first the cricket-loving Fatehsinhrao (beloved manager of the Indian team who toured Pakistan in 1978) and then his younger brother Ranjitsinh -- six times. The only break came in 1967 when was there was no Gaekwad in the fray. In 1989, the Janata Dal defeated sitting Congress Ranjitsinh Gaekwad. In 1991, fresh from her triumph as Sita, Dipika, representing the BJP, inflicted defeat on Ranjitsinh yet again. In 1996, Satyajitsinh Gaekwad wrested the seat back for the Congress, but his margin over his BJP rival was a mere 17 votes! Another Gaekwad in the fray as an Independent took away more than 10,000 votes. In 1998, Jayaben Thakkar (BJP) increased that margin of victory by 52,400 more votes and defeated Satyajitsinh (52,417 votes). By 1999, Jayaben had increased her margin by 92,649 votes over the Congress' Urmilaben Patel, wife of the late Gujarat chief minister Chimanbhai Patel. Election Quiz is best viewed in Internet Explorer and Netscape above version 6.0.Quiz 1Quiz 2Quiz 3Compiled by G K GokhaleImage: Uttam Ghosh
2. Who would have thought Dr Manmohan Singh would be defeated in an urban constituency? But he was, in the 1999 Lok Sabha election. Which constituency vanquished the man who initiated economic reforms in India? a. Chandini Chowk. b. South Delhi. c. New Delhi.Wrong! Try again..Wrong!The correct answer is B.Nothing worked in Dr Singh's favour. Not his reputation as India's Reformer No 1. Not the fact that he was a Sikh in a constituency where Sikhs number 75,000 to 100,000. Not the fact that the Congress won seven of the constituency's 11 assembly segments in the November 1998 assembly election. He still lost to the BJP's Vijay Kishore Malhotra (who first won it in 1977) by 29,919 votes. In the 1998 Lok Sabha election Sushma Swaraj defeated her Congress rival Ajay Maken in South Delhi by 116,713 votes. Maken's uncle Lalit Maken had won the seat in 1984, but was assassinated along with his wife Geetanjali by Khalistani extremists in March 1985. Arjun Singh, who resigned as governor of Punjab, won the ensuing by-election. Madanlal Khurana brought the seat back to the BJP fold in 1989; it has stayed there since. In 1996 Swaraj beat the Congress' Kapil Sibal by 114,006 votes. She moved to Bellary in 1999 to contest against Sonia Gandhi, but lost that election. Correct!Nothing worked in Dr Singh's favour. Not his reputation as India's Reformer No 1. Not the fact that he was a Sikh in a constituency where Sikhs number 75,000 to 100,000. Not the fact that the Congress won seven of the constituency's 11 assembly segments in the November 1998 assembly election. He still lost to the BJP's Vijay Kishore Malhotra (who first won it in 1977) by 29,919 votes. In the 1998 Lok Sabha election Sushma Swaraj defeated her Congress rival Ajay Maken in South Delhi by 116,713 votes. Maken's uncle Lalit Maken had won the seat in 1984, but was assassinated along with his wife Geetanjali by Khalistani extremists in March 1985. Arjun Singh, who resigned as governor of Punjab, won the ensuing by-election. Madanlal Khurana brought the seat back to the BJP fold in 1989; it has stayed there since. In 1996 Swaraj beat the Congress' Kapil Sibal by 114,006 votes. She moved to Bellary in 1999 to contest against Sonia Gandhi, but lost that election. 3. Barpeta, Nandyal, Hoshiarpur, Madras South and Ottapallam have one thing in common. What? a. They registered the maximum forfeiture of deposits. b. They elected film stars to Parliament. c. They all elected candidates who went on to become Presidents of India.Wrong! Try again..Wrong!The correct answer is C.Barpeta elected Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed to Parliament in 1971. In 1974, he succeeded V V Giri as India's fourth President, but died in February 1977 before completing his full term. Ahmed was succeeded by Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, who was elected from Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh in the 1977 Lok Sabha election. It was sweet justice for Reddy, who had been deprived of the Presidency despite being the official Congress nominee in 1969. Indira Gandhi had split the Congress party rather than endorse Reddy. Her candidate V V Giri won the ensuing Presidential election. Giani Zail Singh was elected from Hoshiarpur -- the only Lok Sabha election he contested -- in 1980 before Indira Gandhi decided he should succeed Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy as President in 1982. Another man elected to the Lok Sabha in 1980 from Madras South, Ramaswamy Venkataraman, was anointed vice-president, before becoming President in 1987. In 1992, P V Narasimha Rao invited K R Narayanan, who represented Ottapallam in Kerala in 1984, 1989 and 1991, to become the nation's vice-president. In 1997, he ascended to the Presidency. His predecessor, Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma, also won election to the Lok Sabha in 1971 and 1980, but that was many years before he became India's vice-president (1987) and President (1992). Correct!Barpeta elected Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed to Parliament in 1971. In 1974, he succeeded V V Giri as India's fourth President, but died in February 1977 before completing his full term. Ahmed was succeeded by Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, who was elected from Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh in the 1977 Lok Sabha election. It was sweet justice for Reddy, who had been deprived of the Presidency despite being the official Congress nominee in 1969. Indira Gandhi had split the Congress party rather than endorse Reddy. Her candidate V V Giri won the ensuing Presidential election. Giani Zail Singh was elected from Hoshiarpur -- the only Lok Sabha election he contested -- in 1980 before Indira Gandhi decided he should succeed Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy as President in 1982. Another man elected to the Lok Sabha in 1980 from Madras South, Ramaswamy Venkataraman, was anointed vice-president, before becoming President in 1987. In 1992, P V Narasimha Rao invited K R Narayanan, who represented Ottapallam in Kerala in 1984, 1989 and 1991, to become the nation's vice-president. In 1997, he ascended to the Presidency. His predecessor, Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma, also won election to the Lok Sabha in 1971 and 1980, but that was many years before he became India's vice-president (1987) and President (1992). 4. George Fernandes moves back to Muzaffarpur this election. When did he first contest an election from this Bihar constituency? a. 1977. b. 1971. c. 1984.Wrong! Try again..Wrong!The correct answer is A.India's best-known Socialist first contested an election from Muzaffarpur in 1977. Interestingly, Fernandes was in prison at that time, having been arrested in what was called the Baroda Dynamite Case. He won that year, repeated his success in 1980. He moved to Bangalore North in 1984, but was vanquished by the sympathy vote in the wake of the Indira Gandhi assassination. His Congress rival C K Jaffer Sharief winning the election handsomely. Fernandes returned to Muzaffarpur in 1989, won easily, again duplicating his success in 1991. He moved to Nalanda in 1996, winning a hat-trick, even though his margin of victory fell steadily (167,864 in 1996, 115,670 in 1998 and 105,821 in 1999). Muzaffarpur has been represented by Captain Jai Nishad since 1996. He won it for the Janata Dal in 1996 with an 80,074 margin that year; that margin dropped to 21,923 in 1998 as a Rashtriya Janata Dal nominee. In 1999, contesting the seat on a Janata Dal-U ticket, he retained it easily against his former RJD party, by 60,720 votes.Correct!India's best-known Socialist first contested an election from Muzaffarpur in 1977. Interestingly, Fernandes was in prison at that time, having been arrested in what was called the Baroda Dynamite Case. He won that year, repeated his success in 1980. He moved to Bangalore North in 1984, but was vanquished by the sympathy vote in the wake of the Indira Gandhi assassination. His Congress rival C K Jaffer Sharief winning the election handsomely. Fernandes returned to Muzaffarpur in 1989, won easily, again duplicating his success in 1991. He moved to Nalanda in 1996, winning a hat-trick, even though his margin of victory fell steadily (167,864 in 1996, 115,670 in 1998 and 105,821 in 1999). Muzaffarpur has been represented by Captain Jai Nishad since 1996. He won it for the Janata Dal in 1996 with an 80,074 margin that year; that margin dropped to 21,923 in 1998 as a Rashtriya Janata Dal nominee. In 1999, contesting the seat on a Janata Dal-U ticket, he retained it easily against his former RJD party, by 60,720 votes.5. This Gujarat constituency has been represented by among others Fatehsinhrao Gaekwad and Dipika Chikhalia, who played Sita in Ramanand Sagar's teleserial Ramayan. Which one are we talking about? a. Anand. b. Rajkot. c. Baroda.Wrong! Try again..Wrong!The correct answer is C.Between 1957 and 1984, this constituency was represented by the Gaekwads -- first the cricket-loving Fatehsinhrao (beloved manager of the Indian team who toured Pakistan in 1978) and then his younger brother Ranjitsinh -- six times. The only break came in 1967 when was there was no Gaekwad in the fray. In 1989, the Janata Dal defeated sitting Congress Ranjitsinh Gaekwad. In 1991, fresh from her triumph as Sita, Dipika, representing the BJP, inflicted defeat on Ranjitsinh yet again. In 1996, Satyajitsinh Gaekwad wrested the seat back for the Congress, but his margin over his BJP rival was a mere 17 votes! Another Gaekwad in the fray as an Independent took away more than 10,000 votes. In 1998, Jayaben Thakkar (BJP) increased that margin of victory by 52,400 more votes and defeated Satyajitsinh (52,417 votes). By 1999, Jayaben had increased her margin by 92,649 votes over the Congress' Urmilaben Patel, wife of the late Gujarat chief minister Chimanbhai Patel. Correct!Between 1957 and 1984, this constituency was represented by the Gaekwads -- first the cricket-loving Fatehsinhrao (beloved manager of the Indian team who toured Pakistan in 1978) and then his younger brother Ranjitsinh -- six times. The only break came in 1967 when was there was no Gaekwad in the fray. In 1989, the Janata Dal defeated sitting Congress Ranjitsinh Gaekwad. In 1991, fresh from her triumph as Sita, Dipika, representing the BJP, inflicted defeat on Ranjitsinh yet again. In 1996, Satyajitsinh Gaekwad wrested the seat back for the Congress, but his margin over his BJP rival was a mere 17 votes! Another Gaekwad in the fray as an Independent took away more than 10,000 votes. In 1998, Jayaben Thakkar (BJP) increased that margin of victory by 52,400 more votes and defeated Satyajitsinh (52,417 votes). By 1999, Jayaben had increased her margin by 92,649 votes over the Congress' Urmilaben Patel, wife of the late Gujarat chief minister Chimanbhai Patel. Election Quiz is best viewed in Internet Explorer and Netscape above version 6.0.
In the 1998 Lok Sabha election Sushma Swaraj defeated her Congress rival Ajay Maken in South Delhi by 116,713 votes. Maken's uncle Lalit Maken had won the seat in 1984, but was assassinated along with his wife Geetanjali by Khalistani extremists in March 1985. Arjun Singh, who resigned as governor of Punjab, won the ensuing by-election. Madanlal Khurana brought the seat back to the BJP fold in 1989; it has stayed there since. In 1996 Swaraj beat the Congress' Kapil Sibal by 114,006 votes. She moved to Bellary in 1999 to contest against Sonia Gandhi, but lost that election.
3. Barpeta, Nandyal, Hoshiarpur, Madras South and Ottapallam have one thing in common. What? a. They registered the maximum forfeiture of deposits. b. They elected film stars to Parliament. c. They all elected candidates who went on to become Presidents of India.
Giani Zail Singh was elected from Hoshiarpur -- the only Lok Sabha election he contested -- in 1980 before Indira Gandhi decided he should succeed Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy as President in 1982. Another man elected to the Lok Sabha in 1980 from Madras South, Ramaswamy Venkataraman, was anointed vice-president, before becoming President in 1987. In 1992, P V Narasimha Rao invited K R Narayanan, who represented Ottapallam in Kerala in 1984, 1989 and 1991, to become the nation's vice-president. In 1997, he ascended to the Presidency. His predecessor, Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma, also won election to the Lok Sabha in 1971 and 1980, but that was many years before he became India's vice-president (1987) and President (1992).
4. George Fernandes moves back to Muzaffarpur this election. When did he first contest an election from this Bihar constituency? a. 1977. b. 1971. c. 1984.
Muzaffarpur has been represented by Captain Jai Nishad since 1996. He won it for the Janata Dal in 1996 with an 80,074 margin that year; that margin dropped to 21,923 in 1998 as a Rashtriya Janata Dal nominee. In 1999, contesting the seat on a Janata Dal-U ticket, he retained it easily against his former RJD party, by 60,720 votes.
5. This Gujarat constituency has been represented by among others Fatehsinhrao Gaekwad and Dipika Chikhalia, who played Sita in Ramanand Sagar's teleserial Ramayan. Which one are we talking about? a. Anand. b. Rajkot. c. Baroda.
In 1998, Jayaben Thakkar (BJP) increased that margin of victory by 52,400 more votes and defeated Satyajitsinh (52,417 votes). By 1999, Jayaben had increased her margin by 92,649 votes over the Congress' Urmilaben Patel, wife of the late Gujarat chief minister Chimanbhai Patel.
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Compiled by G K GokhaleImage: Uttam Ghosh
