01 · Explore
The Challenge of Political Succession
The 1960s in India were often referred to as the 'dangerous decade' due to unresolved problems like poverty, inequality, and regional divisions.
When Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru passed away in May 1964, it triggered two major questions: 'After Nehru, who?' and more critically, 'After Nehru, what?' The latter reflected deep-seated fears among international observers that India's democratic experiment might fail without its founding leader, potentially leading to a political role for the army.
The transition proved the critics wrong. K. Kamaraj, then President of the Congress party, facilitated a consensus in favor of Lal Bahadur Shastri. Shastri was a non-controversial leader known for his simplicity and commitment to principles. He had previously resigned as Railway Minister, accepting moral responsibility for a major accident, which cemented his reputation for integrity.
Shastri's brief tenure from 1964 to 1966 was marked by two major crises: a severe food shortage due to failed monsoons and the 1965 war with Pakistan. He coined the famous slogan 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan' to rally the nation. His leadership ended abruptly with his death in Tashkent in January 1966 while signing a peace agreement.
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Why was the decade of the 1960s called the 'dangerous decade'?
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What was the significance of the slogan 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan'?
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Sign inNew here? Sign up freeNCERT reference: printed pages 73, 74.
02 · Explore
The Emergence of Indira Gandhi
Following Shastri's sudden demise, the Congress faced its second succession challenge in two years.
Unlike the consensus for Shastri, the 1966 succession saw an intense competition between Morarji Desai and Indira Gandhi. Desai was a veteran leader who had served as Chief Minister of Bombay State, while Indira Gandhi, Nehru's daughter, had served as Congress President and Information Minister. The contest was decided by a secret ballot among Congress MPs, where Indira Gandhi secured more than two-thirds of the support.
Senior Congress leaders, known as the 'Syndicate', supported Indira Gandhi under the assumption that her relative political inexperience would make her dependent on their guidance. However, within a year, she faced the daunting task of leading the party into the 1967 general elections amidst a deteriorating economic situation.
The peaceful transition of power, despite the high-stakes competition, was viewed globally as a sign of maturity in Indian democracy. Indira Gandhi soon began asserting her independence, moving away from the influence of the senior party stalwarts who had facilitated her rise.
| Leader | Background/Experience | Role in Succession |
|---|---|---|
| Morarji Desai | Former CM of Bombay, Union Minister | Contested twice for PM post |
| Indira Gandhi | Daughter of Nehru, former Congress President | Elected PM via secret ballot in 1966 |
| K. Kamaraj | Former CM of Madras, Congress President | Kingmaker who facilitated consensus/elections |
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How was the leadership contest between Indira Gandhi and Morarji Desai resolved?
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03 · Explore
The Fourth General Elections (1967)
The 1967 elections are considered a landmark 'political earthquake' in India's electoral history.
The context of the 1967 elections was one of grave economic crisis. Successive monsoon failures led to widespread drought and food shortages. The government's decision to devaluate the Indian rupee—where the dollar's cost rose from less than Rs. 5 to more than Rs. 7—under US pressure triggered massive price rises and public protests.
This period saw frequent 'bandhs' and 'hartals'. The government often treated these protests as law and order issues rather than economic grievances, which increased public bitterness. This discontent provided fertile ground for opposition parties to organize against the Congress dominance.
The results jolted the Congress. While it retained a majority in the Lok Sabha, it was with its lowest tally of seats and votes since 1952. Half of Indira Gandhi's cabinet ministers lost their seats. At the state level, the Congress lost majority in seven states, and in two other states, defections prevented it from forming a government. These nine states included Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa, Madras, and Kerala.
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What was the 'political earthquake' of 1967?
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04 · Explore
Non-Congressism and the Rise of Coalitions
The 1967 elections introduced the phenomena of 'Non-Congressism' and coalition governments at the state level.
Socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia gave the strategy of 'Non-Congressism' a theoretical basis. He argued that Congress rule was undemocratic and against the interests of the poor. He advocated for disparate opposition parties to join forces to prevent the division of non-Congress votes, which had historically kept the Congress in power.
In several states, non-Congress parties formed 'Samyukt Vidhayak Dal' (SVD) governments. These were often ideologically incongruent coalitions. For example, in Bihar, the SVD included both Left parties (CPI) and Right parties (Jana Sangh). In Punjab, the 'Popular United Front' included rival Akali groups and Communist parties.
A significant feature of this era was 'defection'—where elected representatives left their party to join another. This practice led to the famous phrase 'Aya Ram, Gaya Ram'. The expression originated from the feat of Gaya Lal, an MLA in Haryana in 1967, who changed his party thrice in a single fortnight. This instability often led to the collapse of state governments and the imposition of President's Rule.
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Define 'Non-Congressism' as proposed by Ram Manohar Lohia.
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What does the term 'defection' mean in Indian politics?
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05 · Explore
Indira vs. the 'Syndicate'
The real challenge to Indira Gandhi's authority came from the 'Syndicate'—a powerful group of senior leaders within her own party.
The Syndicate, led by K. Kamaraj and including leaders like S.K. Patil and S. Nijalingappa, had expected Indira Gandhi to follow their advice. However, she began to assert her position by choosing advisors from outside the party circle and gradually sidelining the senior leadership. She aimed to transform the power struggle into an ideological one.
In May 1967, she got the Congress Working Committee to adopt a 'Ten Point Programme'. This included radical measures like social control of banks, nationalization of general insurance, and land reforms. While the Syndicate formally approved these, they had serious reservations about the Left-leaning shift.
This internal tension reached a breaking point during the 1969 Presidential election. The Syndicate nominated N. Sanjeeva Reddy as the official candidate, while Indira Gandhi encouraged Vice-President V.V. Giri to contest as an independent. She called for a 'conscience vote', leading to Giri's victory and the formal split of the Congress into Congress (O) and Congress (R).
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Who were the members of the 'Syndicate'?
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What was the 'conscience vote' called for by Indira Gandhi in 1969?
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06 · Explore
The Abolition of Privy Purse
The 'Privy Purse' was a grant given to the families of former princely rulers as part of the integration of India.
At the time of Independence, rulers were allowed to retain certain property and given a government allowance based on the revenue of their former states. By the late 1960s, Indira Gandhi argued that these hereditary privileges were inconsistent with the constitutional principles of equality and social justice.
The move was opposed by leaders like Morarji Desai, who called it a 'breach of faith' with the princes. An initial attempt to amend the Constitution in 1970 failed in the Rajya Sabha, and a subsequent executive ordinance was struck down by the Supreme Court.
Indira Gandhi turned this into a major campaign issue for the 1971 elections, portraying it as a struggle between the pro-poor government and the pro-rich opposition. After her massive victory, the Constitution was successfully amended to abolish the Privy Purse.
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What was the 'Privy Purse'?
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07 · Explore
The 1971 Election and Restoration
In 1971, Indira Gandhi sought a fresh mandate to end her dependence on other parties and establish her faction as the 'real' Congress.
The 1971 election pitted Indira Gandhi's Congress (R) against the 'Grand Alliance'—a coalition of all major non-communist, non-Congress opposition parties. While the Grand Alliance had no coherent program other than 'Indira Hatao' (Remove Indira), Indira Gandhi launched the positive and powerful slogan 'Garibi Hatao' (Remove Poverty).
The 'Garibi Hatao' campaign focused on land ceilings, public sector growth, and ending disparities. This allowed her to build a direct, nationwide support base among Dalits, Adivasis, minorities, women, and the unemployed, bypassing the traditional party machinery.
The results were a landslide. Indira Gandhi's Congress (R) won 352 seats with about 44 per cent of the popular votes on its own, while the Congress (R)-CPI alliance won 375 seats and secured 48.4 per cent votes. The Congress (O) was decimated, winning only 16 seats. This victory, followed by India's success in the 1971 war leading to the creation of Bangladesh, made Indira Gandhi an undisputed leader.
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Contrast the slogans of the opposition and Indira Gandhi in 1971.
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What was the 'Grand Alliance'?
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08 · Explore
The Nature of the Restored Congress
While Indira Gandhi restored the Congress to dominance, the nature of the party had fundamentally changed.
The 'restoration' was not a return to the old Congress system. The new Congress relied entirely on the popularity of a single supreme leader and had a much weaker organizational structure. It lacked the internal factions that previously allowed the party to accommodate diverse opinions and interests.
The party now depended on specific social groups—the poor, women, and marginalized communities—rather than being a broad-based 'umbrella' organization. While it was electorally successful, its capacity to absorb social tensions and conflicts had diminished.
As political authority became centralized, the space for democratic expression within the party shrank. This period of unprecedented power for Indira Gandhi also saw growing popular unrest regarding economic deprivation, setting the stage for future political crises.
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How did the 'New Congress' differ from the 'Old Congress' system?
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