The Poona Pact was a landmark agreement between Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar that shaped the future of political representation for the Depressed Classes (later known as Scheduled Castes) in India.

The background to the pact lies in the Communal Award of 1932, announced by British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald. The award proposed separate electorates for various communities, including Muslims, Sikhs, Anglo-Indians, and the Depressed Classes. Under this system, members of the Depressed Classes would elect their own representatives through a separate electorate.

While Dr. Ambedkar supported separate electorates as a way to secure independent political voice for the Depressed Classes, Mahatma Gandhi strongly opposed it. Gandhi feared that separate electorates would permanently divide Hindu society along caste lines and weaken the unity needed for the freedom struggle. As a mark of protest, Gandhi undertook a fast unto death while imprisoned in the Yerawada Jail in Pune.

This created intense public pressure and led to negotiations between Ambedkar and Gandhi. Eventually, on 24 September 1932, the two leaders reached an agreement known as the Poona Pact.

Under the terms of the Poona Pact:

• The idea of separate electorates for the Depressed Classes was dropped.

• Instead, separate reserved seats were provided for the Depressed Classes within the general Hindu electorate.

• The number of reserved seats for the Depressed Classes in provincial legislatures was significantly increased (from 71 under the Communal Award to 148).

• Members of the Depressed Classes would be elected by a joint electorate but with the benefit of primary elections (panel voting) to ensure their choice of candidates.

• Adequate representation was assured in public services and educational institutions