1957 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election

On 1 November 1956, under States Reorganisation Act, 1956, a portion of the Purnea district east of the river Mahananda and the Purulia sub-district of the Manbhum district in the south (except Char Thana) were transferred from Bihar to West Bengal.^[1] Thus, assembly constituencies in West Bengal increased from 187 (238 seats) to 195 (252 seats) during 1957 assembly elections.

On the political left two alliances had emerged; the United Left Election Committee (an alliance between CPI, PSP, AIFB, MFB and RSP) and the United Left Front (comprising the SUCI(C), the BPI, the RPI and the Democratic Vanguard). A third alliance was the United Democratic People's Front, consisting of BJS, Hindu Mahasabha and RCPI.^[2]

The election was won by the Indian National Congress, who got a majority of its own in the assembly. The communists became the largest opposition party.

Summary of results of the 1957 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election^[3]

Party	No. of candidates	No. of elected	No. of votes	%
Indian National Congress	251	152	4,830,992	46.14%
Communist Party of India	103	46	1,865,106	17.81%
Praja Socialist Party	67	21	1,031,392	9.85%
Forward Bloc	26	8	425,318	4.06%
Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha	37	25	225,126	2.15%
Bharatiya Jana Sangh	33	0	102,477	0.98%
Independents	418	22	1,989,392	19.00%
Total:	935	252	10,469,803

^[4]

• 1957 elections in India
• 1952 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election