Class XII – Parties and Party Systems in India -Important Questions

Ans. Defection was a factor in 1967 elections. It played an important role in formation and collapsing of government. Defection displays the behaviour of an elected representative who leaves the party on whose symbol he/she won and joins another party.

Two demerits of this practice were:

• It causes instability within party.
• It promotes political opportunism among party legislators.

Ans. Social and ideological coalition of the Congress Party were the following:

• It was based on liberal socialism
• It believes to bring changes in society by peaceful means and within constitutional provisions.
• It believes in social co-existence and communal harmony.
• It gives priority to the welfare of minorities.

Ans. The main outcomes of the General Elections of 1971 which were responsible for restoration or revival of Congress were the following:

• The Congress (R)-CPI alliance won more seats and votes than the Congress had ever won in the first four general elections.
• The 1971 elections were followed by the crisis in East Pakistan and Indo-Pak war leading to the establishment of Bangladesh.
• Under leadership of Indira Gandhi, her party swept through all the State Assembly elections held in 1972.
• With two successive election victories, one at the centre and other at the state level, the dominance of the Congress was restored.

Ans. The fourth general election held in 1967 was the first election to be held without Nehru. Congress was dominant party before 1967, but scenario was likely to change after 1967’s election. Several non-Congress parties joined together to bring Congress down.

They realised that their disintegration kept Congress in power. So, they joined to form a big alliance called Samyukt Vidhayak Dal.

Congress still managed to win in Lok Sabha election, but with the poorest performance ever. Congress lost in many states. Influential leaders of Congress lost their position.

Many Congress leaders left the party in order to join the other party. Local politics gained momentum. In Tamil Nadu, a non-congress party won on its own for the first time. 1967 elections showcased the new element which never came into light. Defection and coalition played an important role and new elements were in the scene of electoral politics.

This situation could not have remained isolated from party politics in the country. The opposition parties got together and formed anti-Congress fronts in some states. This strategy was given the name of non-Congressism by Ram Manohar Lohia. He argued that Congress rule was undemocratic and opposed the interests of ordinary people. Therefore, the non-Congress parties were necessary for reclaiming democracy for the people.

Ans. At the time of dissolution of Princely States, the rulers of Princely States had been assured that their families would get the right to retain certain private property and based on heredity or government allowances would also be given by the extent or revenue and potential of the merging states. This was called as privy purse. Indira Gandhi insisted an abolition of privy purses because:

According to Indira Gandhi such privilege to them goes against the essence of Constitution. It was against such privilege. After she won in 1967 election she put her demand to abolish privy purse.

This hereditary privilege was against the ideas of equality and social and economic justice, which is embedded in Indian Constitution.

In 1970 after she won with great majority privy purse was rejected by Rajya Sabha and ordinance was put down by Supreme Court. It was in 1971 after she won with great majority she was able to amend the Constitution to abolish privy purse.

Ans. The expression ‘Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram’ became popular in the political vocabulary in India to describe the practice of frequent floor-crossing by legislators. The phrase became the subject of numerous jokes and cartoons. Ultimately, the Constitution was amended to prevent defections.

• Impact on the Indian political system are as follow:
• It leads to instability within a political party.
• It promotes political opportunism in political system.
• It causes instable government.

Ans. Advantages of coalition are as follows:

(i) Coalition government provides an alternative to form government whenever there is a case of hung Parliament.

(ii) It gives opportunities to small and regional parties to have representation in governments.

Disadvantages of coalition are as follows:

(i) It leads to instability in government as different partners pull the government differently. And government finds itself unable to take right decision at right time.

(ii) It reduces the credibility of office of PM/CM as their tenure depends at the pleasure of coalition parties. It produces weak government.

Ans. The six factors that led to the popularity of Indira Gandhi’s Government in early 1970s were:

• Her socialist approach worked in her favour and her ideas like land reform and land ceiling legislation as well.
• Her slogan ‘garibi hatao’ was the need of that time. People took it positively and supported her.
• Her support for the growth of public sector, removal of inequality in income and opportunity and abolition of privy purse gained popularity.
• Through, ‘garibi hatao’ she became popular among Dalits, disadvantaged, women, minority etc.
• 1971 war added to her popularity. She managed the political and economic affair of that time effective. She was admired by opposition also.
• She was seen as a protector of poor and a strong and capable national leader.

Ans. The six factors responsible for the split of the Congress party in 1969 were as follows:

• In 1967 elections, the Congress lost power in many states, the result proved that the Congress could be defeated at the elections.
• The political tension inside Congress over the unsettled question of relation between its ministerial and organisation wings became more pronounce.
• Indira Gandhi side-lined from the ‘Syndicate’, a group of powerful and influential leader within the Congress. She chose her trusted group of advisors from outside the party.
• Indira Gandhi adopted a radical ten-point programme which include social control of banks, nationalisation of 14 private banks, abolition of the privy purse and land reforms.
• Presidential selection of 1969 bring out factional rivalry between the Syndicate and Indira Gandhi. In the election, V.V. Giri was elected as president of India defeating the official candidate N. Sanjeeva Reddy.
• This election formalised the split in the Congress Prime Minister was expelled. There was a vertical split in Congress which created Congress (O) and Congress (R)

Ans. The socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia gave this strategy the name of ‘non-Congressism’.

He also produced a theoretical argument in its defence: Congress rule was undemocratic and opposed to the interests of ordinary poor people; therefore, the coming together of the non-Congress parties was necessary for reclaiming democracy for the people.