By-Elections (Hansard, 15 July 1943)

§ 14. Mr. Sorensen
asked the Secretary of State for India whether he will give particulars of by-elections recently held in India, and particularly in South India, including the policy of the candidates and the polling figures?

§ Mr. Amery
I have no very recent official information. The Press reported early in June the result of a by-election in Madras for a seat in the Central Legislative Assembly rendered vacant by the death of a Congress member. The Congress candidate is reported to have been returned with 4,658 votes while his opponent, a member of the Justice Party, obtained 1,508 votes.

§ Mr. Sorensen
Will the right hon. Gentleman take that as an indication of the opinion of people at least in the area?

§ Mr. Amery
Apparently a member of the same political party was returned.

§ Mr. Shinwell
Is there any demand for an electoral truce in India? Have not they managed to get on very well without it? Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that ours is the only country in the Commonwealth maintaining an electoral truce?

§ Mr. Amery
I would not draw analogies from Indian conditions.

§ Sir Herbert Williams
Is it not also the case that the right hon. Gentleman's own leader, the Deputy-Prime Minister, founded the truce?