Coorg State
Former State
1947–1956
The map of India showing Coorg State
Location of Coorg State in India
Country India
RegionSouth India
Formation26 January 1947
Dissolution1 November 1956
Government
  Chief minister
 1950-1956
C. M. Poonacha
Time zoneUTC+05:30 (IST)
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Coorg Province
Mysore State
Shri Pandyanda Belliappa, Freedom Fighter and Leader of Takkadi Party in Coorg State

Coorg State was a Part-C state in India which existed from 1950 to 1956.[1] When the Constitution of India came into force on 26 January 1950, most of the existing provinces were reconstituted into states. Thus, Coorg Province became Coorg State. Coorg State was ruled by a Chief Commissioner with Mercara as its capital. The head of the government was the Chief Minister. Coorg State was abolished on 1 November 1956 as per the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 and its territory were merged with Mysore State (later renamed as Karnataka in 1973).[2] Presently, Coorg forms a district of Karnataka state.

Map of Southern India before the States Reorganisation Act of 1956 with Coorg State in dark green

History

Coorg State in 1952

The Coorg State came into being on 26 January 1950 as per the Constitution of India. Prior to the enactment of the Constitution, Coorg had been a province of the Dominion of India.

The first legislative elections in Coorg were held in 1952. The main contenders were the Indian National Congress led in the state by C. M. Poonacha and the Takkadi party led by the Gandhian Pandyanda Belliappa. While the Congress supported merger with the neighbouring Mysore State, the Takkadi party fought the election on an anti-merger plank. The Indian National Congress won a majority of 15 seats while the Takkadi party bagged the remaining nine seats.

Commissioners of Coorg State

(1) Dewan Bahadur Ketolira Chengappa, became its first Chief Commissioner from 1947–1949

(2) C.T. Mudaliar became Chief Commissioner from 1949–1950[1]

(3) Kanwar Baba Daya Singh Bedi, Chief Commissioner from 1950–1956[1]

Government of Coorg

Government was formed in Coorg by Indian National Congress, who won 15 of 24 seats. Cabinet was formed with two ministers (including Chief Minister), which lasted till States Reorganisation Act on 1 November 1956.

Chief Minister

Shri Nidyamale Somanna, Freedom Fighter and First Lok Sabha member from Coorg State

Cheppudira Muthana Poonacha won from Berriathnad constituency became the first and last Chief Minister of Coorg State from 1950 till 1956.[1]

Cabinet

Dissolution

Shri Cheppudira M Poonacha, Freedom Fighter and Chief Minister of Coorg State

As a result of the States Reorganisation Act of 1 November 1956, when India's state boundaries were reorganised, Coorg State became a district of the then Mysore State[1][3][4] Mysore State was later renamed as Karnataka and part of the historical region of Coorg now forms the Kodagu district of Karnataka.[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Cahoon, Ben. "Indian states since 1947". www.worldstatesmen.org.
  2. "When Kodagu merged with Mysore: A short political history of the region". 12 August 2020.
  3. Gayathri, M. B.; Mysore, University of (6 April 1997). "Development of Mysore state, 1940-56". University of Mysore via Google Books.
  4. Ramaswamy, Harish (6 April 2018). Karnataka Government and Politics. Concept Publishing Company. ISBN 9788180693977 via Google Books.
  5. Muthanna, I M. Coorg Memoirs (The story of the Kodavas).
Rao Bahadur Ketolira Chengappa, Chief Commissioner of Coorg State, First Person to Hoist the National Flag on 15th August 1947.

Further reading

12°25′15″N 75°44′23″E / 12.4208°N 75.7397°E / 12.4208; 75.7397

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