1957 Senegalese Territorial Assembly election
# 1957 Senegalese Territorial Assembly election

Territorial Assembly elections were held in Senegal on 31 March 1957. The result was a landslide victory for the Senegalese Popular Bloc (BPS), which won 47 of the 60 seats. Its main competitor, the MSA-affiliated Senegalese Party of Socialist Action (PSAS) had aliented the marabouts and enabled the BPS to win the rural vote (over which the marabouts held an important sway) by far.

## Electoral system

The elections had been called after the adoption of the Loi Cadre in 1956, which instituted a system of semiautonomous governments in the different colonies of French West Africa.

## Campaign

Whilst most other Territorial Assembly elections were dominated by affiliates of the African Democratic Rally (RDA), the Senegalese elections saw a clash between the Senegalese parties affiliated to the African Convention (CA) and the African Socialist Movement (MSA) respectively.

The CA-affiliated BPS had evolved out of the Senegalese Democratic Bloc just before the elections. In the run-up to the elections the BPS leader Léopold Sédar Senghor had a more socialist and nationalist discourse, attracting various trade unionists and leftwing intellectuals to join the BPS leadership.

## Results

One MP from Kédougou was elected from one of the various regional lists that contested the polls. No women were elected to the assembly.

| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | Senegalese Popular Bloc | 449,844 | 78.04 | 47 |
| | Senegalese Party of Socialist Action | 66,458 | 11.53 | 12 |
| | Regional lists | 58,465 | 10.14 | 1 |
| | Others | 1,631 | 0.28 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 576,398 | 100.00 | 60 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 576,398 | 99.18 | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 4,770 | 0.82 | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 581,168 | 100.00 | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 1,063,946 | 54.62 | |
| Source: De Benoist |||||

## Aftermath

After the elections, BPS selected Ibrahima Seydou N'Daw from Kaolack as the chair of the Assembly.

