• These opposition parties felt that the inexperience of Indira

Gandhi and the internal fractionalism within the Congress

provided them an opportunity to topple the Congress.

• The socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia gave this strategy

the name of Tion-congressism’.

Electoral Verdict

• The fourth general elections to the Lok Sabha and State

Assemblies were held in February 1967.

• The results jolted the Congress at both the national and

Subject – Political Science state levels, and it was termed as ‘political earthquake’.
Class - 12
Chapter – Challenges to and Restoration of Congress Coalitions
System
• The elections of 1967 brought into picture the
phenomenon of coalitions.
Political Science Class 12 Notes Chapter Challenges to and
Restoration of Congress System
• Since no single party had got majority, various non-
congress parties came together to form joint legislative
Challenge of Political Succession parties (called Samyukt Vidhayak Dal in Hindi) that
supported non-congress governments.
• Nehru’s death in 1964 generated a lot of speculation about
the question of succession. The 1960s were labelled as Defection
the ‘dangerous decade’ due to many challenges and Defection means an elected representative leaves the party on
unsolved problems. whose symbol he/she elected and joins another party. The constant
realignments and shifting political loyalties in this period gave rise to
• After the death of Nehru, Lai Bahadur Shastri was the expression ‘Aya Ram, Gaya Ram’.
unanimously chosen as the leader of the Congress
parliamentary party, and became India’s next Prime Split in the Congress
Minister. After 1967 elections Congress saw split due to various differences.

Indira vs the ‘Syndicate’

• During Shastri tenure from 1964 to 1966 the country faced
two major challenges serious food crisis and a war with
• Syndicate was a group of powerful and influential leaders
Pakistan in 1965. Shastri’s famous slogan ‘Jai Jawan Jai
from within the Congress.
Kisan’ symbolised the country’s resolve to face both these
challenges. • Indira Gandhi faced two challenges from syndicate to build
her independence from the syndicate and to work towards
• After sudden death of Lai Bahadur Shastri in 1966 there
regaining the ground that the Congress had lost in the 1967
was an intense competition between Morarji Desai and
elections.
Indira Gandhi for succession. Indira Gandhi was backed by
senior party leaders. Presidential Election, 1969

Fourth General Elections, 1967 • The factional rivalry between the Syndicate and Indira
Gandhi was clearly visible when the post of President of
• The year 1967 is considered as a landmark year in India’s
India was vacated in 1969 after the death of Zakir Hussain.
political and electoral history.
• Syndicate supported official candidate of the Congress
• In prevailing political environment the economic situation
N.Sanjeeva Reddy while Indira Gandhi supported W Giri as
trigerred off price rise. People started protesting against
the candidate for the President of India.
the increase in prices of essential commodities, food
scarcity etc. • Indira Gandhi announced the nationalisation of fourteen
leading private banks and the abolition of the ‘privy purse’
• The communist and socialist parties launched struggles
which removed differences between Morarji Desai and
for great equality.
Indira Gandhi.
• 1960s also witnessed some of the worst Hindu-Muslim
• The defeat of official Congress candidate formalised the
riots since Independence.
split in the party.
Non-Congressism
The 1971 Election and Restoration of Congress
The Indira Gandhi’s Government recommended the dissolution of
• Opposition parties were in the forefront of organising
public protests and pressurising the government.
the Lok Sabha in December 1970 and the fifth general elections to Gandhi defeated Morarji Desai and a peaceful transition of power
the Lok Sabha were held in February 1971. was seen as a ‘Sign of Maturity of India’s Democracy’.

The Contest 4. The government of Indira Gandhi decided to devalue the Indian
rupee in order to check economic crisis of 1967. Consequently, one
• In 1971 election, all the major non-communist, non- US dollar could be purchased for less than Rs 5 after devaluation
congress opposition parties formed an electoral alliance which cost more than Rs 7 to trigger a price rise and people
known as the Grand Alliance. protested against essential commodities price rise and
unemployment. It was struggled even by socialist and communist
• Indira Gandhi said that the opposition alliance had only
parties for greater equality.
one cohunon programme Indira Hatao, in contrast she put
forward a positive programme captured in the famous 5. The Congress Party’s decision of devaluation gave birth to the
slogan Garibi Hatao. concept of non-Congressism with different programmes and
ideologies to form anti-Congress fronts. It was claimed to be
• This Slogan and the programmes that followed it were part
necessary for democratic purposes.
of Indira Gandhi’s political strategy of building an
independent nationwide political support base. 6. The fourth general election was held in 1967, not be in favour of
Congress. The political leaders like Kamraj in Tamilnadu, S.K. Patil in
The Outcome and After Effect
Maharashtra, Atulya Ghosh in West Bengal and K.B. Sahay in Bihar
were defeated along with majority lost in other states also for the
• The results of the 1971 Lok Sabha elections were dramatic
very first time any non-Congress party has secured majority
as the Congress (R) – CPI alliance won more seats and
including coalition government consisting of different non-Congress
votes than the Congress had ever won in the first four
parties which were termed as ‘Political earthquake’.
general elections.
7. The election of 1967 brought the phenomenon of coalitions which
• They combine won 375 seats in Lok Sabha and secured
was formed together by joint legislature parties to be called SVD i.e.
48.4 percent votes. Indira Gandhi’s Congress (R) won 352
Samyukt Vidhayak Dal. The SVD in Bihar included the two socialist
seats with about 44 per cent of the popular votes on its
parties-SSP and PSP along with CPI on the left and Jana Sangh on
own.
the right. In Punjab, it was called popular United Front and
• The Grand Alliance of the opposition proved a grand comprised the two rival Akali Parties at that time.
failure. Their combined tally of seats was less than 40. 8. Immediately, after 1967, Indira Gandhi faced two challenges to
Restoration build her independence from ‘Syndicate’ and to regain ground which
were lost in 1967 elections by Congress. And Indira Gandhi adopted
• Indira Gandhi in many ways had re-invented the party. a very bold strategy as she converted it into ideological struggle,
Now, it was a new Congress that had emerged. launched a series of initiatives and got the Congress Working
Committee to adopt ‘Ten Point Programme’ in 1967 including social
• While the Congress consolidated its position and Indira control of Banks, Nationalisation of General Insurance, Ceiling on
Gandhi assumed a position of unprecedented political Urban Property and Income, Public Distribution of Food Grains,
authority, the spaces for democratic expression of Land Reforms etc.
people’s aspirations actually shrank.
9. Syndicate was the informal name given to a group of Congress
• The popular unrest and mobilisation around issues of leader like K. Kamraj, S.K. Patil, N. Sanjeeva Reddy, Atulya Ghosh
development and economic deprivation continued to who were in control of Party as organisation i.e. within Congress.
grow. Syndicate had a greater say in Indira Gandhi’s first council of
Ministers and in Policy formulations and implementations. After
FACTS THAT MATTER
split, Congress (O) and Indira led Congress (R) formed which won
1. Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru passed away in May 1964. the popularity after 1971.
The 1960s were labelled as ‘dangerous decade’ due to some
10. The formal split in Congress (Syndicate and Indira Gandhi) came
unresolved problems like poverty, inequality, communal and
into open in 1969 on nomination of candidate for president’s post.
regional divisions to be speculated to lead to a failure of democratic
Diplomatically, Indira Gandhi’s candidates won over syndicate’s
project or even the disintegration of the country.
candidate (V.V. Giri over N. Sanjeeva Reddy), which formalised the
2. India mainly faced two challenges from 1964 to 1966 during Lai split in Congress into two separate parties i.e. Congress (O) i.e.
Bahadur Shastri’s reign like ‘Economic Crisis’ due to Indo-China War organisation led by syndicate known as a ‘Old Congress’ and
of 1962 and Indo-Pak War of 1965 and failed Monsoons, droughts Congress (R) i.e. requisitionists led by Indira Gandhi known as ‘New
and food crisis which was symbolised as a famous slogan to resolve Congress’.
the issues like ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’.
11. Everyone believed that real organisational strength was under
3. The Congress Party faced the challenge of political succession for command of Congress (O), on the other hand, all major parties like
the second time after the death of Lai Bahadur Shastri with an SSP, PSP, Bharatiya Jana Sangh, Swatantra Party and Bharatiya
intense competition between Morarji Desai and Indira Gandhi to Kranti Dal also formed ‘Grand Alliance’ against Indira Gandhi with a
resolved through a secret ballot among Congress MPs. Indira common programme of‘Indira Hatao’.
12. In contrast to ‘Indira Hatao’, Indira Gandhi put forward a positive the suspension of elections. It also created a political and
programme ‘Garibi Hatao’ to generate a support base among social atmosphere of fear and uncertainty.
landless labourers, dalits, adivasis, minorities, women and
unemployed youth as well as focused on growth of public sector,
imposition of ceiling on rural land holdings and Urban property and Short Answer Type Questions (2 Marks)
removal of disparity etc and succeeded to build an independent
nationwide political support base during election contest of 1971. 3. What was the main reason for the decline of the Congress
system in the 1960s?
13. Indira Gandhi did not revive old Congress Party but she re-
invented the party by forming an entirely different popular party to o Year Asked: 2018
accommodate some social groups, the poor, the women, the dalits,
o Answer: The main reason for the decline of the Congress
adivasis and the minorities. Thus, Indira Gandhi restored the
system in the 1960s was the internal factionalism within the
Congress system by changing the nature of Congress system itself.
party and the rise of challenges to its leadership, especially
after Jawaharlal Nehru's death and the growing regional
WORDS THAT MATTER
aspirations.
1. Defection: An elected representative who leaves the Party
4. Explain the role of the Emergency in the restoration of
on whose symbol, he is elected and joins another party.
Congress dominance.
2. Non-Congression: Non-Congress parties alongwith their
o Year Asked: 2016
different programmes and ideologies together to form anti-
Congress fronts. o Answer: The Emergency (1975-1977) was imposed by Indira
Gandhi and helped restore Congress dominance temporarily.
3. Congress (O): Congress led by syndicated also known as
Despite the negative political and social consequences, the
Old Congress, i.e. Congress (organisation).
Congress used the period to consolidate power, and following
4. Congress (R): It was led by Indira Gandhi and known as the lifting of the Emergency, Indira Gandhi's leadership gained
New Congress, i.e. Congress (Requisitionists). prominence again, although it was later challenged by the
opposition.
5. Grand alliance: It was major electoral alliance formed by
major parties like SSP, PSP, Bharatiya Jana Sangh,
Swatantra Party and Bharaitya Kranti Dal to form a United
Short Answer Type Questions (4 Marks)
front.
5. Explain the factors that contributed to the rise of Non-
6. Syndicate: A group of powerful and influential leaders
Congressism during the 1960s.
from within the Congress.
o Year Asked: 2015
7. Ten Point Programme: Adopted by Indira Gandhi in 1967
to regain ground for Congress including social control of o Answer: Several factors contributed to the rise of non-
banks, land reforms etc. Congressism:

8. Devaluation: To reduce the rate at which money can be 1. Failure of Congress to Address Regional Aspirations:
exchanged for foreign money. Congress was unable to address growing demands for
regional autonomy.
9. Political Earthquake: The electoral verdict of fourth
general election in 1967 which jolted the Congress at both 2. Factionalism and Leadership Crisis: Leadership struggles
the national and state levels. and factionalism within the Congress, especially after
Nehru’s death, led to the decline in party cohesion.

3. Growing Discontent Among Youth: There was increasing

Very Short Answer Type Questions (1 Mark)
dissatisfaction with the Congress’s policies, especially
1. Who became the Prime Minister of India after the among the youth who demanded change and political
Emergency period? reform.

o Year Asked: 2017 6. Discuss the role of Indira Gandhi in the restoration of the
Congress system.
o Answer: After the Emergency period, Morarji Desai became
the Prime Minister of India in 1977. o Year Asked: 2014

2. What was the impact of the Emergency imposed in 1975 on o Answer: Indira Gandhi played a key role in the restoration of
Indian democracy? the Congress system by:

o Year Asked: 2019 1. Reasserting her Authority: After the loss of the Congress in
the 1967 elections, she reasserted her authority in the
o Answer: The Emergency of 1975 had a significant impact by party, emerging as its dominant leader.
curbing civil liberties, curtailing press freedom, and leading to
 2. Popular Welfare Policies: She focused on populist policies
like garibi hatao (remove poverty), which appealed to the
masses.

3. Strengthening Party Structure: She reorganized the

Congress Party, sidelining the old guard and focusing on a
more centralized control.

Long Answer Type Questions (6 Marks)

7. Describe the reasons behind the decline of the Congress

system in India during the 1960s.

o Year Asked: 2013

o Answer: The decline of the Congress system in the 1960s can

be attributed to several factors:

1. Internal Factionalism: Discontent within the Congress due

to the lack of clear leadership after Jawaharlal Nehru's
death in 1964.

2. Emergence of Regional Political Forces: Regional parties

began gaining prominence, challenging Congress's
monopoly in Indian politics.

3. Ideological Shifts: Congress faced internal ideological

challenges, especially over economic policies and its
response to the Green Revolution.

4. Failure to Maintain Popular Support: Economic problems,

food shortages, and dissatisfaction with governance led to
the erosion of Congress's support base.

8. Explain how Indira Gandhi restored the Congress Party's

dominance after 1967.

o Year Asked: 2012

o Answer: Indira Gandhi restored Congress's dominance

through the following steps:

1. Decisive Leadership: After the Congress's poor showing in

the 1967 elections, Indira Gandhi decisively took control of
the party and sidelined internal rivals.

2. Focus on Socialism: She emphasized socialist-oriented

policies such as nationalization of banks and poverty
alleviation.

3. Public Appeal: Indira Gandhi gained popular support

through her focus on economic reforms, particularly those
that promised betterment for the rural poor and working
class.

4. The Emergency (1975-77): The declaration of the

Emergency gave Indira Gandhi the power to remove
opposition parties, centralize authority, and restore
Congress's position in Indian politics.