in india's pre-independence era, when the muslims in india demanded fair representation in power-sharing with the british government along with the hindus in 1906, the british government provided for a separate electorate system for the muslims in indian council act, 1909. as a result, of the total 250 seats of the bengal legislative assembly, 117 seats were kept reserved for the muslims. accordingly, the general elections of 1937 were held on the basis of the extended separate electorates, where only the muslims voted for the 117 seats, in bengal.