Page 1
In this chapter…
In Chapter Two we read about the emergence of the Congress
system. This system was first challenged during the 1960s. As political
competition became more intense, the Congress found it difficult to
retain its dominance. It faced challenges from the opposition that was
more powerful and less divided than before. The Congress also faced
challenges from within, as the party could no longer accommodate all
kinds of differences. In this chapter we pick the story from where we left
it in Chapter Two, in order to
• understand how the political transition took place after Nehru;
• describe how the opposition unity and the Congres s split posed a
challenge to Congress dominance;
• explain how a new Cong ress led by Indira Gandhi overcame these
challenges; and
• analyse how new policies and ideologies facilitated the restoration
of the Congress system.
Originally the election
symbol of the Congress
was a pair of bullocks.
This famous cartoon
depicts the changes
within the Congress
leading to a head-
on confrontation in
the 22nd year after
Independence.
Credit: R. K. Laxman in the Times of India
chap 5_PF.indd 72 8/5/2022 12:22:12 PM
2024-25
Page 2
In this chapter…
In Chapter Two we read about the emergence of the Congress
system. This system was first challenged during the 1960s. As political
competition became more intense, the Congress found it difficult to
retain its dominance. It faced challenges from the opposition that was
more powerful and less divided than before. The Congress also faced
challenges from within, as the party could no longer accommodate all
kinds of differences. In this chapter we pick the story from where we left
it in Chapter Two, in order to
• understand how the political transition took place after Nehru;
• describe how the opposition unity and the Congres s split posed a
challenge to Congress dominance;
• explain how a new Cong ress led by Indira Gandhi overcame these
challenges; and
• analyse how new policies and ideologies facilitated the restoration
of the Congress system.
Originally the election
symbol of the Congress
was a pair of bullocks.
This famous cartoon
depicts the changes
within the Congress
leading to a head-
on confrontation in
the 22nd year after
Independence.
Credit: R. K. Laxman in the Times of India
chap 5_PF.indd 72 8/5/2022 12:22:12 PM
2024-25
Challenge of Political Succession
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru passed away in May 1964. He
had been unwell for more than a year. This had generated a lot of
speculation about the usual question of succession: after Nehru,
who? But in a newly independent country like India, this situation
gave rise to a more serious question: after Nehru, what?
The second question arose from the serious doubts that many
outsiders had about whether India’s democratic experiment will
survive after Nehru. It was feared that like so many other newly
independent countries, India too would not be able to manage a
democratic succession. A failure to do so, it was feared, could lead
to a political role for the army. Besides, there were doubts if the new
leadership would be able to handle the multiple crises that awaited
a solution. The 1960s were labelled as the ‘dangerous decade’ when
When
France
or Canada have
similar problems, no
one talks about failure
or disintegration. Why are
we under this constant
suspicion?
5
chapter
challenges to and
restoration of the
congress system
chap 5_PF.indd 73 8/5/2022 12:22:14 PM
2024-25
Page 3
In this chapter…
In Chapter Two we read about the emergence of the Congress
system. This system was first challenged during the 1960s. As political
competition became more intense, the Congress found it difficult to
retain its dominance. It faced challenges from the opposition that was
more powerful and less divided than before. The Congress also faced
challenges from within, as the party could no longer accommodate all
kinds of differences. In this chapter we pick the story from where we left
it in Chapter Two, in order to
• understand how the political transition took place after Nehru;
• describe how the opposition unity and the Congres s split posed a
challenge to Congress dominance;
• explain how a new Cong ress led by Indira Gandhi overcame these
challenges; and
• analyse how new policies and ideologies facilitated the restoration
of the Congress system.
Originally the election
symbol of the Congress
was a pair of bullocks.
This famous cartoon
depicts the changes
within the Congress
leading to a head-
on confrontation in
the 22nd year after
Independence.
Credit: R. K. Laxman in the Times of India
chap 5_PF.indd 72 8/5/2022 12:22:12 PM
2024-25
Challenge of Political Succession
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru passed away in May 1964. He
had been unwell for more than a year. This had generated a lot of
speculation about the usual question of succession: after Nehru,
who? But in a newly independent country like India, this situation
gave rise to a more serious question: after Nehru, what?
The second question arose from the serious doubts that many
outsiders had about whether India’s democratic experiment will
survive after Nehru. It was feared that like so many other newly
independent countries, India too would not be able to manage a
democratic succession. A failure to do so, it was feared, could lead
to a political role for the army. Besides, there were doubts if the new
leadership would be able to handle the multiple crises that awaited
a solution. The 1960s were labelled as the ‘dangerous decade’ when
When
France
or Canada have
similar problems, no
one talks about failure
or disintegration. Why are
we under this constant
suspicion?
5
chapter
challenges to and
restoration of the
congress system
chap 5_PF.indd 73 8/5/2022 12:22:14 PM
2024-25
74 Politics in India since Independence
unresolved problems like poverty, inequality, communal and regional
divisions etc. could lead to a failure of the democratic project or even
the disintegration of the country.
From Nehru to Shastri
The ease with which the succession after Nehru took place proved all
the critics wrong. When Nehru passed away, K. Kamraj, the president
of the Congress party consulted party leaders and Congress members
of Parliament and found that there was a consensus in favour of Lal
Bahadur Shastri. He was unanimously chosen as the leader of the
Congress parliamentary party and thus became the country’s next
Prime Minister. Shastri was a non-controversial leader from Uttar
Pradesh who had been a Minister in Nehru’s cabinet for many years.
Nehru had come to depend a lot on him in his last year. He was
known for his simplicity and his commitment to principles. Earlier
he had resigned from the position of Railway Minister accepting moral
responsibility for a major railway accident.
Shastri was the country’s Prime Minister from 1964 to 1966.
During Shastri’s brief Prime Ministership, the country faced two
major challenges. While India was still recovering from the economic
implications of the war with China, failed monsoons, drought and
serious food crisis presented a grave challenge. As discussed in the
previous chapter, the country also faced a war with Pakistan in
1965. Shastri’s famous slogan ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’, symbolised the
country’s resolve to face both these challenges.
Shastri’s Prime Ministership came to an abrupt end on 10 January
1966, when he suddenly expired in Tashkent, then in USSR and
currently the capital of Uzbekistan. He was there to discuss and sign
an agreement with Muhammad Ayub Khan, the then President of
Pakistan, to end the war.
From Shastri to Indira Gandhi
Thus the Congress faced the challenge of political succession for the
second time in two years. This time there was an intense competition
between Morarji Desai and Indira Gandhi. Morarji Desai had earlier
served as Chief Minister of Bombay state (today’s Maharashtra and
Gujarat) and also as a Minister at the centre. Indira Gandhi, the
daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, had been Congress President in the
past and had also been Union Minister for Information in the Shastri
cabinet. This time the senior leaders in the party decided to back
Indira Gandhi, but the decision was not unanimous. The contest
was resolved through a secret ballot among Congress MPs. Indira
Gandhi defeated Morarji Desai by securing the support of more than
two-thirds of the party’s MPs. A peaceful transition of power, despite
intense competition for leadership, was seen as a sign of maturity of
India’s democracy.
…new Prime
Minister of India, in spite
of all forebodings, had been
named with more dispatch,
and much more dignity,
than was the new Prime
Minister of Britain.
Editorial in The Guardian,
London, 3 June 1964,
comparing the political
succession after Nehru
with the succession drama
after Harold Macmillan in
Britain.
Lal Bahadur
Shastri
(1904-1966):
Prime Minister of
India; participated
in the freedom
movement since
1930; minister
in UP cabinet;
General Secretary
of Congress;
Minister in Union
Cabinet from
1951 to 1956 when
he resigned taking
responsibility for
the railway accident
and later from 1957
to 1964; coined the
famous slogan ‘Jai
Jawan-Jai Kisan’.
“
“
chap 5_PF.indd 74 8/5/2022 12:22:14 PM
2024-25
Page 4
In this chapter…
In Chapter Two we read about the emergence of the Congress
system. This system was first challenged during the 1960s. As political
competition became more intense, the Congress found it difficult to
retain its dominance. It faced challenges from the opposition that was
more powerful and less divided than before. The Congress also faced
challenges from within, as the party could no longer accommodate all
kinds of differences. In this chapter we pick the story from where we left
it in Chapter Two, in order to
• understand how the political transition took place after Nehru;
• describe how the opposition unity and the Congres s split posed a
challenge to Congress dominance;
• explain how a new Cong ress led by Indira Gandhi overcame these
challenges; and
• analyse how new policies and ideologies facilitated the restoration
of the Congress system.
Originally the election
symbol of the Congress
was a pair of bullocks.
This famous cartoon
depicts the changes
within the Congress
leading to a head-
on confrontation in
the 22nd year after
Independence.
Credit: R. K. Laxman in the Times of India
chap 5_PF.indd 72 8/5/2022 12:22:12 PM
2024-25
Challenge of Political Succession
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru passed away in May 1964. He
had been unwell for more than a year. This had generated a lot of
speculation about the usual question of succession: after Nehru,
who? But in a newly independent country like India, this situation
gave rise to a more serious question: after Nehru, what?
The second question arose from the serious doubts that many
outsiders had about whether India’s democratic experiment will
survive after Nehru. It was feared that like so many other newly
independent countries, India too would not be able to manage a
democratic succession. A failure to do so, it was feared, could lead
to a political role for the army. Besides, there were doubts if the new
leadership would be able to handle the multiple crises that awaited
a solution. The 1960s were labelled as the ‘dangerous decade’ when
When
France
or Canada have
similar problems, no
one talks about failure
or disintegration. Why are
we under this constant
suspicion?
5
chapter
challenges to and
restoration of the
congress system
chap 5_PF.indd 73 8/5/2022 12:22:14 PM
2024-25
74 Politics in India since Independence
unresolved problems like poverty, inequality, communal and regional
divisions etc. could lead to a failure of the democratic project or even
the disintegration of the country.
From Nehru to Shastri
The ease with which the succession after Nehru took place proved all
the critics wrong. When Nehru passed away, K. Kamraj, the president
of the Congress party consulted party leaders and Congress members
of Parliament and found that there was a consensus in favour of Lal
Bahadur Shastri. He was unanimously chosen as the leader of the
Congress parliamentary party and thus became the country’s next
Prime Minister. Shastri was a non-controversial leader from Uttar
Pradesh who had been a Minister in Nehru’s cabinet for many years.
Nehru had come to depend a lot on him in his last year. He was
known for his simplicity and his commitment to principles. Earlier
he had resigned from the position of Railway Minister accepting moral
responsibility for a major railway accident.
Shastri was the country’s Prime Minister from 1964 to 1966.
During Shastri’s brief Prime Ministership, the country faced two
major challenges. While India was still recovering from the economic
implications of the war with China, failed monsoons, drought and
serious food crisis presented a grave challenge. As discussed in the
previous chapter, the country also faced a war with Pakistan in
1965. Shastri’s famous slogan ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’, symbolised the
country’s resolve to face both these challenges.
Shastri’s Prime Ministership came to an abrupt end on 10 January
1966, when he suddenly expired in Tashkent, then in USSR and
currently the capital of Uzbekistan. He was there to discuss and sign
an agreement with Muhammad Ayub Khan, the then President of
Pakistan, to end the war.
From Shastri to Indira Gandhi
Thus the Congress faced the challenge of political succession for the
second time in two years. This time there was an intense competition
between Morarji Desai and Indira Gandhi. Morarji Desai had earlier
served as Chief Minister of Bombay state (today’s Maharashtra and
Gujarat) and also as a Minister at the centre. Indira Gandhi, the
daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, had been Congress President in the
past and had also been Union Minister for Information in the Shastri
cabinet. This time the senior leaders in the party decided to back
Indira Gandhi, but the decision was not unanimous. The contest
was resolved through a secret ballot among Congress MPs. Indira
Gandhi defeated Morarji Desai by securing the support of more than
two-thirds of the party’s MPs. A peaceful transition of power, despite
intense competition for leadership, was seen as a sign of maturity of
India’s democracy.
…new Prime
Minister of India, in spite
of all forebodings, had been
named with more dispatch,
and much more dignity,
than was the new Prime
Minister of Britain.
Editorial in The Guardian,
London, 3 June 1964,
comparing the political
succession after Nehru
with the succession drama
after Harold Macmillan in
Britain.
Lal Bahadur
Shastri
(1904-1966):
Prime Minister of
India; participated
in the freedom
movement since
1930; minister
in UP cabinet;
General Secretary
of Congress;
Minister in Union
Cabinet from
1951 to 1956 when
he resigned taking
responsibility for
the railway accident
and later from 1957
to 1964; coined the
famous slogan ‘Jai
Jawan-Jai Kisan’.
“
“
chap 5_PF.indd 74 8/5/2022 12:22:14 PM
2024-25
Challenges to and Restoration of the Congress System 75
It took some time before the new Prime Minister could settle down.
While Indira Gandhi had been politically active for very long, she had
served as a minister under Lal Bahadur Shastri only for a short period.
The senior Congress leaders may have supported Indira Gandhi in the
belief that her administrative and political inexperience would compel
her to be dependent on them for support and guidance. Within a
year of becoming Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi had to lead the party
in a Lok Sabha election. Around this time, the economic situation in
the country had further deteriorated, adding to her problems. Faced
with these difficulties, she set out to gain control over the party and
to demonstrate her leadership skills.
Indira Gandhi (1917-1984): Prime Minister of India from 1966 to 1977
and 1980 to 1984; daughte r of Jawaharlal Nehru; participated in the
freedom struggle as a young Congress worker; Congress President
in 1958 ; minister in Shastri’s cabinet from 1964-66; led the Congress
party to victory in 1967, 1971 and 1980 general elections; credited with
the slogan ‘garibi hatao’, victory in 1971 war and for policy initiatives
like abolition of Privy Purse, nationalisation of banks, nuclear test and
environmental protection; assassinated on 31 October 1984.
Credit: R. K. Laxman in The Times of India, 18 January 1966
chap 5_PF.indd 75 8/5/2022 12:22:14 PM
2024-25
Page 5
In this chapter…
In Chapter Two we read about the emergence of the Congress
system. This system was first challenged during the 1960s. As political
competition became more intense, the Congress found it difficult to
retain its dominance. It faced challenges from the opposition that was
more powerful and less divided than before. The Congress also faced
challenges from within, as the party could no longer accommodate all
kinds of differences. In this chapter we pick the story from where we left
it in Chapter Two, in order to
• understand how the political transition took place after Nehru;
• describe how the opposition unity and the Congres s split posed a
challenge to Congress dominance;
• explain how a new Cong ress led by Indira Gandhi overcame these
challenges; and
• analyse how new policies and ideologies facilitated the restoration
of the Congress system.
Originally the election
symbol of the Congress
was a pair of bullocks.
This famous cartoon
depicts the changes
within the Congress
leading to a head-
on confrontation in
the 22nd year after
Independence.
Credit: R. K. Laxman in the Times of India
chap 5_PF.indd 72 8/5/2022 12:22:12 PM
2024-25
Challenge of Political Succession
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru passed away in May 1964. He
had been unwell for more than a year. This had generated a lot of
speculation about the usual question of succession: after Nehru,
who? But in a newly independent country like India, this situation
gave rise to a more serious question: after Nehru, what?
The second question arose from the serious doubts that many
outsiders had about whether India’s democratic experiment will
survive after Nehru. It was feared that like so many other newly
independent countries, India too would not be able to manage a
democratic succession. A failure to do so, it was feared, could lead
to a political role for the army. Besides, there were doubts if the new
leadership would be able to handle the multiple crises that awaited
a solution. The 1960s were labelled as the ‘dangerous decade’ when
When
France
or Canada have
similar problems, no
one talks about failure
or disintegration. Why are
we under this constant
suspicion?
5
chapter
challenges to and
restoration of the
congress system
chap 5_PF.indd 73 8/5/2022 12:22:14 PM
2024-25
74 Politics in India since Independence
unresolved problems like poverty, inequality, communal and regional
divisions etc. could lead to a failure of the democratic project or even
the disintegration of the country.
From Nehru to Shastri
The ease with which the succession after Nehru took place proved all
the critics wrong. When Nehru passed away, K. Kamraj, the president
of the Congress party consulted party leaders and Congress members
of Parliament and found that there was a consensus in favour of Lal
Bahadur Shastri. He was unanimously chosen as the leader of the
Congress parliamentary party and thus became the country’s next
Prime Minister. Shastri was a non-controversial leader from Uttar
Pradesh who had been a Minister in Nehru’s cabinet for many years.
Nehru had come to depend a lot on him in his last year. He was
known for his simplicity and his commitment to principles. Earlier
he had resigned from the position of Railway Minister accepting moral
responsibility for a major railway accident.
Shastri was the country’s Prime Minister from 1964 to 1966.
During Shastri’s brief Prime Ministership, the country faced two
major challenges. While India was still recovering from the economic
implications of the war with China, failed monsoons, drought and
serious food crisis presented a grave challenge. As discussed in the
previous chapter, the country also faced a war with Pakistan in
1965. Shastri’s famous slogan ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’, symbolised the
country’s resolve to face both these challenges.
Shastri’s Prime Ministership came to an abrupt end on 10 January
1966, when he suddenly expired in Tashkent, then in USSR and
currently the capital of Uzbekistan. He was there to discuss and sign
an agreement with Muhammad Ayub Khan, the then President of
Pakistan, to end the war.
From Shastri to Indira Gandhi
Thus the Congress faced the challenge of political succession for the
second time in two years. This time there was an intense competition
between Morarji Desai and Indira Gandhi. Morarji Desai had earlier
served as Chief Minister of Bombay state (today’s Maharashtra and
Gujarat) and also as a Minister at the centre. Indira Gandhi, the
daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, had been Congress President in the
past and had also been Union Minister for Information in the Shastri
cabinet. This time the senior leaders in the party decided to back
Indira Gandhi, but the decision was not unanimous. The contest
was resolved through a secret ballot among Congress MPs. Indira
Gandhi defeated Morarji Desai by securing the support of more than
two-thirds of the party’s MPs. A peaceful transition of power, despite
intense competition for leadership, was seen as a sign of maturity of
India’s democracy.
…new Prime
Minister of India, in spite
of all forebodings, had been
named with more dispatch,
and much more dignity,
than was the new Prime
Minister of Britain.
Editorial in The Guardian,
London, 3 June 1964,
comparing the political
succession after Nehru
with the succession drama
after Harold Macmillan in
Britain.
Lal Bahadur
Shastri
(1904-1966):
Prime Minister of
India; participated
in the freedom
movement since
1930; minister
in UP cabinet;
General Secretary
of Congress;
Minister in Union
Cabinet from
1951 to 1956 when
he resigned taking
responsibility for
the railway accident
and later from 1957
to 1964; coined the
famous slogan ‘Jai
Jawan-Jai Kisan’.
“
“
chap 5_PF.indd 74 8/5/2022 12:22:14 PM
2024-25
Challenges to and Restoration of the Congress System 75
It took some time before the new Prime Minister could settle down.
While Indira Gandhi had been politically active for very long, she had
served as a minister under Lal Bahadur Shastri only for a short period.
The senior Congress leaders may have supported Indira Gandhi in the
belief that her administrative and political inexperience would compel
her to be dependent on them for support and guidance. Within a
year of becoming Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi had to lead the party
in a Lok Sabha election. Around this time, the economic situation in
the country had further deteriorated, adding to her problems. Faced
with these difficulties, she set out to gain control over the party and
to demonstrate her leadership skills.
Indira Gandhi (1917-1984): Prime Minister of India from 1966 to 1977
and 1980 to 1984; daughte r of Jawaharlal Nehru; participated in the
freedom struggle as a young Congress worker; Congress President
in 1958 ; minister in Shastri’s cabinet from 1964-66; led the Congress
party to victory in 1967, 1971 and 1980 general elections; credited with
the slogan ‘garibi hatao’, victory in 1971 war and for policy initiatives
like abolition of Privy Purse, nationalisation of banks, nuclear test and
environmental protection; assassinated on 31 October 1984.
Credit: R. K. Laxman in The Times of India, 18 January 1966
chap 5_PF.indd 75 8/5/2022 12:22:14 PM
2024-25
76 Politics in India since Independence
Fourth General Elections, 1967
The year 1967 is considered a landmark year in India’s political and
electoral history. In Chapter Two you read about how the Congress
party was the dominant political force throughout the country from
1952 onwards. This trend was to undergo significant changes with
the 1967 elections.
Context of the elections
In the years leading up to the fourth general elections, the country
witnessed major changes. Two Prime Ministers had died in quick
succession, and the new Prime Minister, who was being seen as a
political novice, had been in office for less than a year. You will recall
from the discussion in Chapter Three and in the previous section of
this chapter that the period was fraught with grave economic crisis
resulting from successive failure of monsoons, widespread drought,
It must have
been difficult for
her – one woman in a
world dominated by men.
Why don’t we have more
women in positions
like that?
Credit: Raghu Rai
chap 5_PF.indd 76 8/5/2022 12:22:15 PM
2024-25
Read More