India, Sept. 11 -- In 1937, elections to the provincial legislatures were held under the Government of India Act 1935, a landmark piece of legislation that brought about significant democratic reforms in India, including direct polls. It provided suffrage rights to women based on literacy, property ownership or marriage to propertied men. It also granted forty-one reserved seats for women in the provincial legislatures, as well as limited reservations for them in the central legislature.

There were two assembly seats from Pune city, with one reserved for women. The Congress party nominated Bhalchandra Maheshwar Gupte, a prominent lawyer, and Lakshmibai Thuse for these seats.

The Lokshahi Swarajya Party had stood up to fight the Congress...