Orissa Assembly Election Results in 1957

Elections to the Second Legislative Assembly of Orissa in independent India were held in March 1957. 517 candidates from various political parties contested for a total of 101 Assembly constituencies. Of these, 58 assembly seats were reserved for General candidates, 25 seats were reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates and 18 were reserved for candidates from Scheduled Tribes. The Indian National Congress won in a close fight with the Ganatantra Parishad, winning 56 out of the 101 Assembly constituencies and hence forming the government in the state. The All India Ganatantra Parishad lost by a narrow margin, winning 51 seats. Bhim Sen Sachar continued in the prestigious post of the Governor of Orissa for the first few months of the second Assembly term, before he was replaced by the second Cabinet Secretary of India, Yashwant Narayan Sukthankar, who remained the Governor till the end of the term. Nilakantha Das was the Speaker of the Orissa Vidhan Sabha during this period. Harekrushna Mahatab of the Congress continued in power as the Chief Minister of Orissa during the whole of this period, till President’s Rule was imposed in the state for the last few months of the second Assembly term.

Mahatab, a notable figure in India’s independence movement, contributed significantly to the development of Orissa during his tenure. His most prominent role was in the merger and integration of former princely states into Orissa. He also shifted the capital of the state from Cuttack to Bhubaneshwar, thereby enhancing the trade and commerce facilities in the state, and facilitating networks of exchange of Orissa with other states. He significantly completed the multi-function Hirakud Dam Project in Orissa, which was started by the previous Chief Minister Nabakrushna Choudhury. Culturally, Mahatab was the proponent of the Prajatantra Prachar Samiti, and headed the weekly magazine Prajatantra. He was also awarded the Sahitya Academy Award in 1983 for his contribution to intellectual pursuits in the state.

Some of the most important legislations passed in the Orissa Legislative Assembly during this period were:

• Orissa Land Reforms Act, 1960
• Orissa Municipal Act, 1957
• Orissa Board Of Revenue Divisional Commission Act, 1957
• Orissa Estates Abolition Act, 1957
• Orissa Co-Operative Societies (Amendment) Act, 1958
• Orissa Famine Relief Fund (Amendment) Act, 1959
• Orissa Non-trading Companies Act, 1959
• Orissa Zilla Parishad (Amendment) Act, 1960
• Orissa Gram Panchayats (Amendment) Act, 1960

List of Successful Candidates in Orissa Assembly Election in 1957

List of Participating Political Parties in Orissa Assembly Election in 1957