question_answer

Mention any six steps taken for the restoration of dominance of the Congress Party after 1971 elections.

Or

Mention any six factors responsible for defeat of the Congress Party in 1977 elections.

Answer:

In the early of 1970s the government of Indira Gandhi gained popular due to various factors such as:

(i) During this period the government made conscious attempts to project socialist credentials.

(ii) Indira Gandhi vigorously compainged for implementing the existing in reform laws and undertook further land ceiling legislation.

(iii) Not only this in order to end her dependence on the other political parties strengthen her party?s position in the Parliament and seek a popular mandate her programmes, Indira Gandhi?s government recommended the dissolution die Lok Sabha in December 1970.

(iv) The crisis m East Pakistan and the Indo-Pak war leading to the establishment of Bangladesh added one more feather to the popularity of Indira Gandhi.

(v) In this way, Indira Gandhi and her government was seen not only as protector of the poor and the underprivileged but also as a strong government.

(vi) The Congress was now in power in almost all the states and restored dominance. It was also popular across different social sections.

Or

(i) The election came after the end of the Emergency that Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had imposed in 1975; it effectively suspended democracy, suppressed the opposition, and took control of the media with authoritarian measures. The opposition called for a restoration of democracy and Indians saw the election results as a repudiation of the Emergency.

(ii) Gandhi had become extremely unpopular for her decision and paid for it during the elections. Mrs. Gandhi, on 23 January, called for fresh elections and released all political prisoners.

(iii) Four Opposition parties, the Congress (Organization), the Jan Sangh, the Bharatiya Lok Dal and the Socialist Party, decided to fight the elections under a single banner called the Janata alliance. The alliance used the symbol allocated to Bharatiya Lok Dal as their symbol on the ballot papers.

(iv) The Janata alliance reminded voters of the excesses and human rights violations during the Emergency, like compulsory sterilization and imprisonment of political leaders.

(v) The structural factors allowed voters to express their grievances, notably their resentment of the emergency and its authoritarian and repressive policies.

(vi) One grievance often mentioned was the ?Nasbandi? (vasectomy) campaign m. rural areas. The middle class also emphasised on the curbing of freedom of speech throughout the country.