1961 Odisha Legislative Assembly election

Elections to the Third Odisha Legislative Assembly were held 1961.^[1]

1961 Odisha Legislative Assembly election

← 1957 1961 1967 →
All 140 seats in the Odisha Legislative Assembly 71 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   AIGP Leader Biju Patnaik Party INC AIGP Leader's seat Choudwar - Seats won 82 37 Seat change 26 14 Popular vote 12,69,000 6,55,099 Percentage 43.28 28.74 Swing 5.02 1.51
Chief Minister before election Vacant President's rule Elected Chief Minister Biju Patnaik INC

Constituencies

The elections were held for 140 constituencies, of which 25 were reserved for Scheduled Castes, 29 for Scheduled Tribes and 86 unreserved.

Contesting parties

There are three national parties (the Communist Party of India, Congress and the Praja Socialist Party), one state party (Ganatantra Parishad), one registered unrecognised party (Jharkhand Party) and some Independent Politicians. All took part in this assembly election. The Congress party won a clear majority for the first time in Orissa by winning 58% of the seats with a vote share of 43.28%. The 1961 election was the first decisive election which resulted non-coalition govt. in the state.^[2] The post of Chief Minister saw successive replacements during this period. Bijayananda Pattanaik became the Chief Minister of Odisha and remained in power till 1963, when he was called by the national high command for reforming the party. He was replaced by the Bengali Biren Mitra, and finally by Sadasiba Tripathy in 1965 when corruption charges were brought against Mitra.

Results

Summary of results of the 1961 Odisha Legislative Assembly election^[3]

Party		Flag	Seats Contested	Won	Net Change in seats	% of Seats	Votes	Vote %	Change in vote %
	Indian National Congress		140	82	26	58.57	12,69,000	40.58	5.02
	Ganatantra Parishad		121	37	14	26.42	6,55,099	20.95	1.51
	Praja Socialist Party		43	10	1	7.14	3,22,305	10.30	20.03
	Communist Party of India		35	4	5	3.57	2,33,971	7.48	18.92
	Jharkhand Party		9	0	"New"	0	25,602	0.81	"New"
	Independent		187	7	6	5	4,26,302	13.63	N/A
			Total Seats	140 ( 0)	Voters	85,51,743	Turnout	31,27,245 (36.57%)

Elected members

Constituency	Reserved for (SC/ST/None)	Member	Party
Omerkote	None	Sadasiba Tripathy		Indian National Congress
Dabugam	None	Jagannatha Tripathy		Indian National Congress
Nowrangpur	SC	Harijan Miru		Indian National Congress
Jeypore	None	Raghunatha Pattanayak		Indian National Congress
Kotpad	SC	Bakria Mahadeba		Indian National Congress
Malkangiri	ST	Guru Nayak		Ganatantra Parishad
Padua	None	Ganeswara Mohapatra		Indian National Congress
Koraput	ST	Toyaka Sanganna		Indian National Congress
Pottangi	ST	Musuri Pangi Saunta		Indian National Congress
Rayagada	ST	Mandangi Kamayya		Indian National Congress
Gunupur	None	Narasinga Patra		Indian National Congress
Bissamcuttack	ST	Biswanath Chowdhary		Ganatantra Parishad
Parlakimedi	None	Nalla Kurmanaikulu		Indian National Congress
R. Udaigiri	ST	Bhoya Ramo		Indian National Congress
Digapahandi	None	Raghunatha Mohapatra		Indian National Congress
Mohana	SC	Biswnatha Naik		Indian National Congress
Berhampur	None	Narendra Deo Sisirkumar		Independent
Patrapur	SC	Trilochana Jani		Indian National Congress
Dura	None	P. Venkata Jaganatha Rao		Indian National Congress
Chhatrapur	None	Lakhmana Mohapatra		Communist Party of India
Khallikote	None	Ramachandra Mardaraj Deo		Indian National Congress
Hinjili	None	Brundabana Nayaka		Indian National Congress
Kodala West	None	Biswanath Das		Indian National Congress
Kodala East	None	Lingaraj Panigrahi		Indian National Congress
Bhanjanagar	None	Magunicharan Pradhan		Indian National Congress
Jagannath Prasad	SC	Udaya Naik		Indian National Congress
Aska	None	Lokanatha Mishra		Indian National Congress
Suruda	None	Arjuna Naik		Indian National Congress
Balliguda	ST	Podra Dubara		Ganatantra Parishad
G Udayagiri	ST	Sarangadhar Padhi		Indian National Congress
Phulbani	None	Himansu Sekhara Padhi		Indian National Congress
Boudh	SC	Aniruddha Dhipa		Ganatantra Parishad
Madanpur Rampur	None	Birakeshari Deo		Ganatantra Parishad
Bhabanipatna	ST	Anchal Majhi		Ganatantra Parishad
Kashipur	None	Nabakumari Debi		Ganatantra Parishad
Koksara	SC	Dayanidhi Naik		Ganatantra Parishad
Junagarh	None	Maheswar Naik		Ganatantra Parishad
Dharamgarh	ST	Mukunda Naik		Ganatantra Parishad
Khariar	None	Anupsingh Deo		Indian National Congress
Nuapara	ST	Gahsiram Majhi		Independent
Kantabanji	None	Shri Rajendra Narayana Sing Deo		Ganatantra Parishad
Titilagarh	SC	Achyutananda Mahananda		Ganatantra Parishad
Saintala	None	Ainthu Sahoo		Ganatantra Parishad
Patnagarh	ST	Ramesh Chandra Bhoi		Ganatantra Parishad
Loisingha	None	Ram Prasad Mishra		Ganatantra Parishad
Bolangir	ST	Chandrasekhar Singh		Ganatantra Parishad
Tusra	None	Nanda Kishore Mishra		Ganatantra Parishad
Binika	None	Anantarama Nanda		Ganatantra Parishad
Sonepur	SC	Daulata Nanda		Ganatantra Parishad
Melchhamunda	None	Sachidananda Padhee		Indian National Congress
Padampur	ST	Bikramaditya Sing Bariha		Indian National Congress
Bargarh	None	Gananath Pradhan		Independent
Bijepur	SC	Mohan Nag		Indian National Congress
Bhatli	None	Saraswati Pradhan		Indian National Congress
Sambalpur	None	Banamali Babu		Indian National Congress
Attabira	SC	Dalganjan Chhuria		Indian National Congress
Katarbaga	None	Bishnu Prasad Mishra		Ganatantra Parishad
Deogarh	ST	Jayadeba Thakur		Ganatantra Parishad
Rairakhol	None	Bhanuganga Tribhuban Deb		Ganatantra Parishad
Brajrajnagar	None	Prasanna Kumar Panda		Communist Party of India
Jharsuguda	ST	Binod Bihari Bariha		Indian National Congress
Sundergarh	None	Harihar Patel		Ganatantra Parishad
Talsara	ST	Gangadhar Pradhan		Ganatantra Parishad
Rajgangpur	ST	Rangaballabha Amat		Indian National Congress
Bisra	ST	Premchandra Bhakta		Ganatantra Parishad
Bonai	ST	Hemendra Prasad Mohapatra		Ganatantra Parishad
Champua	ST	Guru Charan Naik		Ganatantra Parishad
Patna	None	Rajballabh Mishra		Ganatantra Parishad
Keonjhar	None	Janardana Bhanja Deo		Ganatantra Parishad
Telkoi	ST	Gobinda Munda		Ganatantra Parishad
Ramachandrapur	None	Muralidhar Kuanr		Indian National Congress
Anandapur	SC	Makar Sethi		Indian National Congress
Pallahara	None	Pabitra Mohan Pradhan		Indian National Congress
Talcher				Indian National Congress
Kamakhyanagar	None	Brundaban Tripathy		Ganatantra Parishad
Dhenkanal	None	Ratnaprava Debi		Ganatantra Parishad
Gondia	ST	Kalia Dehuri		Ganatantra Parishad
Chhendipada	SC	Pada Naik		Indian National Congress
Angul	None	Kumuda Chandra Sing		Indian National Congress
Athmallik	None	Khetramohan Panigrahy		Ganatantra Parishad
Banapur	None	Raghunatha Mishra		Ganatantra Parishad
Daspalla	SC	Saheb Nayak		Indian National Congress
Khandapara	None	Harihara B. Ray Mardaraj Sing		Indian National Congress
Nayagarh	None	Brundabana Chandra Sing		Indian National Congress
Ranpur	None	Ram Ramachandra		Communist Party of India
Begunia	None	Gangadhara Paikray		Communist Party of India
Khorda	None	Banamali Patnaik		Indian National Congress
Bhubaneswar	None	Satyapriya Mohanty		Indian National Congress
Balipatna	SC	Gopinatha Bhoi		Indian National Congress
Brahmagiri	None	Gopabadhu Patra		Independent
Puri	None	Bhagaban Prathihari		Indian National Congress
Satyabadi	None	Raj Raj Deb		Ganatantra Parishad
Pipili	None	Ramchandra Patnaik		Indian National Congress
Kakatpur	None	Upendra Mohanty		Indian National Congress
Nimapara	SC	Gobinda Sethi		Indian National Congress
Banki	None	Gokulananda Praharaj		Praja Socialist Party
Baramba	None	Bidyadhar Nayak		Indian National Congress
Athgarh	None	Achutananda Dash		Independent
Cuttack City	None	Biren Mitra		Indian National Congress
Choudwar	None	Bijayananda Pattnaik		Indian National Congress
Cuttack Sadar	SC	Laxman Mallick		Indian National Congress
Jagatsinghpur	None	Priyanath De		Indian National Congress
Gobindapur	SC	Kanduri Charan Mallick		Praja Socialist Party
Mahanga	None	Surendranatha Pattanayak		Indian National Congress
Salepur	SC	Baidhar Behera		Praja Socialist Party
Balikuda	None	Bipin Bihari Das		Indian National Congress
Ersama	None	Ratnamali Jema		Indian National Congress
Tirtol	None	Pratap Chandra Mohanty		Indian National Congress
Patkura	None	Lokanath Mishra		Indian National Congress
Rajnagar	None	Padma Charan Nayak		Independent
Aul	None	Sailendra Narayana Bhanja Deo		Indian National Congress
Kendrapara	None	Dhruba Charan Sahu		Praja Socialist Party
Pattamundei	SC	Prahllad Malik		Indian National Congress
Binjharpur	None	Chittaranjana Nayak		Indian National Congress
Berchana	None	Dhananjaya Lenka		Indian National Congress
Dharmasala	None	Gadadhep Dutta		Indian National Congress
Sukinda	SC	Baidhar Sahu		Indian National Congress
Jajpur West	None	Madan Mohan Pattanayak		Indian National Congress
Jajpur East	SC	Santanu Ku. Das		Indian National Congress
Dhamnagar	None	Muralidhar Jena		Indian National Congress
Basudebapur	None	Nilamani Routray		Indian National Congress
Chandbali	SC	Bairagi Jena		Indian National Congress
Bhadrak	None	Nityananda Mohapatra		Independent
Soro	None	Karunakar Panigrahi		Indian National Congress
Simulia	SC	Bhagiratha Das		Indian National Congress
Nilgiri	None	Rajendrachandra Harichandan Mardaraj		Ganatantra Parishad
Balasore	None	Bijoy Krishna De		Indian National Congress
Basta	None	Maheswar Baral		Praja Socialist Party
Bhogorai	None	Pyari Mohan Das		Praja Socialist Party
Jaleswar	None	Prasanna Kumar Paul		Praja Socialist Party
Kunta	None	Prasanna Kumar Dash		Praja Socialist Party
Baisinga	SC	Arjun Patra		Praja Socialist Party
Udala	ST	Man Mohan Tudu		Indian National Congress
Karanjia	None	Pravakar Behera		Indian National Congress
Jashipur	ST	Triya Mochiram		Indian National Congress
Rairangpur	ST	Chandra Mohan Sinha		Indian National Congress
Bahalda	ST	Sunaram Soren		Indian National Congress
Bangiriposi	ST	Iswar Chandra Nayak		Indian National Congress
Baripada	None	Santosh Sahu		Indian National Congress
Morada	ST	Sakila Soren		Praja Socialist Party