Key Points
Key Points: Restoration
- Indira Gandhi did not revive the old Congress, but re-invented it in a new form.
- Congress depended more on the popularity of a supreme leader.
- It drew support mainly from the poor, women, Dalits, Adivasis, and minorities.
- Congress had weak internal structures and fewer factions.
- As power became centralised, democratic spaces shrank, leading to unrest and future political crisis.
Key Points: Challenge of Political Succession
- Nehru’s death created uncertainty (1964).
- Fear for the survival of democracy.
- Risk of military intervention.
- Multiple crises facing the nation.
- 1960s seen as a ‘dangerous decade’.
Key Points: Lal Bahadur Shastri
- Prime Minister of India (1964–1966).
- Participated in the freedom movement since 1930.
- He served as Union Minister from 1951 to 1956.
- General Secretary of the Congress.
- He gave the slogan “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan”.
Key Points: C. Natarajan Annadurai
- He was Chief Minister of Madras (Tamil Nadu) from 1967.
- He was a journalist, writer and powerful orator.
- Initially associated with the Justice Party.
- He founded the DMK in 1949.
- He opposed imposition of Hindi.
Key Points: Ram Manohar Lohia
- He was a socialist leader, thinker and freedom fighter.
- One of the founders of the Congress Socialist Party.
- Member of Lok Sabha (1963–67).
- Known for sharp criticism of Nehru.
- Advocated social justice.
Key Points: Non-Congressism
- Opposition parties realised that fighting separately helped the Congress stay in power.
- Parties with different ideologies came together to oppose the Congress.
- Opposition parties entered into electoral adjustments.
- Socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia gave this strategy the name Non-Congressism and defended it ideologically.
- Supporters argued that Congress dominance was undemocratic and uniting against it was necessary to protect democracy.
Key Points: From Nehru to Shastri
- Smooth succession after Nehru (1964).
- K. Kamraj consulted party leaders and MPs, leading to a peaceful and democratic transition of power.
- Shastri was known for simplicity, integrity and commitment to principles.
- As Prime Minister (1964–66), Shastri faced economic crisis, drought, food shortage, and the 1965 war with Pakistan.
- Shastri died suddenly in Tashkent in January 1966.
Key Points: From Shastri to Indira Gandhi
- Second succession challenge for Congress.
- Contest between Morarji Desai and Indira Gandhi.
- Decision through secret ballot.
- Despite intense competition, power shifted peacefully, reflecting the maturity of Indian democracy.
- Senior leaders expected Indira Gandhi to rely on them due to her limited.
- Administrative experience Consolidation of leadership.
Key Points: Indira Gandhi (1917-1984)
- Prime Minister of India (1966–77, 1980–84).
- Active in the freedom struggle.
- Led Congress to major electoral victories in 1967, 1971 and 1980.
- Known for strong policy initiatives.
- Assassinated on 31 October 1984.
Key Points: Context of the Elections
- Two Prime Ministers died in quick succession, creating uncertainty before the fourth general elections.
- Consecutive monsoon failures caused drought, fall in agricultural production, food shortages and rising unemployment.
- Devaluation of the rupee (1966).
- Widespread protests and unrest.
- Communist and socialist parties led struggles for equality, while communal tensions also increased.
Key Points: Election in a Rajasthan Village
- 1967 Assembly elections in Chomu constituency.
- Local leadership mattered more than party labels.
- Emergence of Bhim Singh as a new leader.
- Alliance of Rajputs and non-Rajputs.
- Strategic political networking.
- Factional village politics.
Key Points: Electoral Verdict (1967)
- Context of discontent and polarisation.
- Congress faced the electorate for the first time after Nehru’s death.
- Congress won a majority in the Lok Sabha but with its lowest seat and vote share since 1952.
- Many prominent ministers, including K. Kamraj, S. K. Patil and Atulya Ghosh, lost their seats.
- Loss of Congress dominance in states.
- Rise of non-Congress and coalition governments.
Key Points: Coalitions
- No single party got a clear majority, leading to the rise of coalition governments.
- Several non-Congress parties came together to form joint governments called Samyukta Vidhayak Dal (SVD).
- Ideologically diverse partners.
- In Bihar, socialists, communists and Jana Sangh joined together; in Punjab, the Popular United Front was formed.
- Coalition governments marked the end of Congress’s one-party dominance.
Key Points: Defection
- Key feature after the 1967 elections.
- Defection occurs when an elected representative leaves the party on whose symbol they were elected and joins another party.
- Weakening of Congress governments.
- Unstable governments and realignments.
- ‘Aya Ram, Gaya Ram’ phenomenon.
Key Points: The story of ‘Aya Ram, Gaya Ram’
- “Aya Ram, Gaya Ram” literally means Ram came, Ram went, referring to frequent party switching by legislators.
- The phrase originated in Haryana.
- Gaya Lal, an MLA from Haryana, changed parties several times in a single day—Congress → United Front → Congress → United Front.
- Congress leader Rao Birendra Singh publicly announced Gaya Lal’s return, coining the phrase that became famous nationwide.
- The episode highlighted the problem of defections and later led to constitutional measures to curb defection.
Key Points: K. Kamaraj
- Freedom Fighter & Leader
- Chief Minister of Madras
- Education Reforms
- Mid-Day Meal Scheme
- Kamaraj Plan – In 1963
Key Points: Indira Gandhi vs. the ‘Syndicate’
- Indira Gandhi’s main challenge was from the Congress Syndicate (senior leaders).
- The Syndicate helped her become PM and wanted to control her decisions.
- Indira Gandhi slowly asserted her independence and relied on her own advisers.
- Her goal was to reduce Syndicate power and rebuild Congress after the 1967 defeat.
- She adopted a Left-oriented policy and introduced the Ten-Point Programme (1967) (bank nationalisation, land reforms, food distribution, rural housing, etc.).
Key Points: The Congress ‘Syndicate’
- The Syndicate was an informal group of powerful leaders.
- led by K. Kamaraj, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
- Members included senior leaders like S. K. Patil, S. Nijalingappa, N. Sanjiva Reddy, and Atulya Ghosh.
- Syndicate played a key role in selecting Prime Ministers.
- After the Congress split and Indira Gandhi’s victory in 1971, the Syndicate lost its power and influence.
Key Points: S. Nijalingappa
- Senior leader of the Indian National Congress.
- Member of the Constituent Assembly also served as a Lok Sabha member.
- Served as the Chief Minister of Mysore (Karnataka).
- He is regarded as the maker of modern Karnataka.
- President of the Indian National Congress from 1968 to 1971.
Key Points: Karpoori Thakur
- Freedom fighter, socialist leader, and follower of Ram Manohar Lohia.
- Served as Chief Minister of Bihar twice: 1970–71 and 1977–79.
- He was actively involved in labour and peasant movements.
- Participated in the JP Movement against authoritarian rule.
- He is known for introducing reservations for backward classes in Bihar.
Key Points: V. V. Giri
- Congress worker and a prominent labour leader from Andhra Pradesh.
- He served as President of India from 1969 to 1974.
- Vice-President (1967–69) and became acting President.
- He resigned and contested the 1969 Presidential election as an independent candidate.
- He won the election with the support of Indira Gandhi.
Key Points: Presidential Election of 1969
- 1969 Presidential election exposed the open rivalry between Indira Gandhi and the Congress Syndicate.
- After President Zakir Hussain’s death, the post fell vacant and elections were held.
- Syndicate nominated N. Sanjeeva Reddy as the official Congress candidate.
- Indira Gandhi supported V. V. Giri.
- Major policy differences arose over bank nationalisation and the abolition of privy purses.
- Indira Gandhi called for a “conscience vote”.
- V. V. Giri won the election, leading to the formal split of the Congress.
Key Points: Abolition of Privy Purse
- Privy purse was a government allowance given to former princely families after integration of princely states.
- Hereditary privileges were seen as against equality and social justice.
- After 1967, Indira Gandhi strongly supported the abolition of privy purses.
- A 1970 Constitutional Amendment and later an ordinance failed.
- After her 1971 election victory, the Constitution was amended and privy purses were finally abolished.
Key Points: Abolition of Privy Purse
- Privy purse was an allowance given to former princely rulers after integration.
- It was criticised as against equality and social justice.
- Indira Gandhi strongly supported its abolition after 1967.
- Attempts in 1970 failed due to Rajya Sabha opposition and court judgment.
- After the 1971 election victory, privy purses were finally abolished.
Key Points: The 1971 Election and Restoration of Congress> The outcome and after
- The 1971 Lok Sabha elections gave a massive victory to Indira Gandhi’s Congress (R).
- Congress (R) won 352 seats, while the Congress (O) and Grand Alliance suffered a heavy defeat.
- East Pakistan crisis and Indo-Pak war (1971) led to the creation of Bangladesh.
- These events greatly increased Indira Gandhi’s popularity.
- Congress won almost all State Assembly elections in 1972.
- Within four years, Indira Gandhi defeated all political challenges.
Important Questions [16]
- Arrange the following in the chronological order: Appointment of Lal Bahadur Shastri as Prime Minister. Tashkent Agreement. The fourth General Elections.
- Who Was the Founder of Bhartiya Jana Sangh?
- In the given political outline map of India, six states have been indicated by A,B,C,D,E and F. Identify them with the help of the information given below and write their correct names in your answer book along with their respective Serial No. and the alphabet concerned as per the following table
- The Results of Which Elections Were Called ‘Political Earthquake’?
- Examine the Factors Which Helped in the Restoration of the Congress Party After Its Split in 1969.
- Examine the Major Issues Which Led to the Split of Congress Part in 1969.
- Match the Pairs
- Describe any four steps taken by Indira Gandhi to remove poverty.
- Who Were Dalit Panthers? Describe Their Main Activities.
- Explain the concept of 'Chouburja Rajneeti' as advocated by Ram Manohar Lohia.
- Highlight the importance of the strategy of 'Non-Congressism' forwarded by Ram Manohar Lohia in the 1967 general election.
- Assertion (A): In 1969 the Congress Party faced a split. Reason (R): Factional rivalry existed between the Congress Syndicate and Indira Gandhi.
- Why is the Presidential election in 1969 in India considered 'Historical'?
- Highlight any two reasons for the split in the Congress Party in 1969.
- Evaluate any three outcomes of the Lok Sabha elections of 1971.
- Why were the fifth General Elections held one year earlier in 1971 instead of 1972? Explain any two reasons.
Concepts [9]
- Political Succession After Nehru
- Non-congressism and Electoral Upset of 1967
- Congress Split and Reconstitution
- Congress Victory in 1971 Elections
- Politics of Garibi Hatao
- Fourth General Elections, 1967
- Split in the Congress
- The 1971 Election and Restoration of Congress
- Overview of Challenges to the Congress System
