Challenges to and restoration of the congress system

The correct statement is (a). In 1967, the Congress won the Lok Sabha elections but lost the Assembly elections in many States. It did not lose both, and it did not retain power with an increased majority.

- Syndicate → iv. A group of powerful and influential leaders within the Congress
- Defection → i. An elected representative leaving the party on whose ticket s/he has been elected
- Slogan → ii. A catchy phrase that attracts public attention
- Anti-Congressism → iii. Parties with different ideological position coming together to oppose Congress and its policies

- Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan → Lal Bahadur Shastri
- Indira Hatao! → Opposition parties in the 1971 election
- Garibi Hatao! → Indira Gandhi

The Grand Alliance was formed by non-Communist, non-Congress parties. It did not have a clear political and ideological programme, and it was not formed by all non-Congress parties.

A political party can resolve internal differences in different ways:

- Follow the footsteps of the party president
- Advantage: quick decision, unity of action.
- Shortcoming: may become undemocratic and ignore other opinions.

- Listen to the majority group
- Advantage: reflects the view of most members.
- Shortcoming: minority views may be ignored; may create resentment.

- Secret ballot voting on every issue
- Advantage: fair and transparent; members can vote freely.
- Shortcoming: can be time-consuming and may weaken discipline in urgent matters.

- Consult senior and experienced leaders
- Advantage: useful guidance from experienced people; may reduce confusion.
- Shortcoming: can give too much power to a few leaders and reduce the role of ordinary members.

A good party usually needs a balance of discussion, leadership, and democratic decision-making.

The reasons for Congress defeat in 1967 were:

- (b) Split within the Congress party — yes. The Congress was increasingly divided internally, and the split weakened it.
- (c) Increased mobilisation of regional, ethnic and communal groups — yes. These groups became more active and affected elections.
- (d) Increasing unity among non-Congress parties — yes. Opposition parties came together in anti-Congress fronts and alliances.
- (e) Internal differences within the Congress party — yes. The party could no longer accommodate all kinds of differences.

- (a) The absence of a charismatic leader in the Congress party — this is not the main reason given for the defeat in the chapter. Congress had already faced challenges from succession and internal divisions, but the chapter emphasises factionalism, opposition unity, and mobilisation of social groups.

So the correct reasons are (b), (c), (d), and (e).

Indira Gandhi's Government became popular in the early 1970s because:

- It projected a pro-poor image through the slogan Garibi Hatao.
- It took bold policy decisions such as bank nationalisation and the abolition of privy purse.
- It supported land reforms and land ceiling legislation.
- The 1971 war and creation of Bangladesh increased her popularity as a strong nationalist leader.
- Her government won a massive victory in 1971, and later the party swept the State Assembly elections of 1972.
- She was seen as a leader of the poor, women, Dalits, Adivasis, minorities, and unemployed youth.

These factors together made her government very popular.

In the chapter, the Syndicate means an informal group of powerful Congress leaders who controlled the party's organisation. It was led by K. Kamaraj and included leaders like S. K. Patil, S. Nijalingappa, N. Sanjeeva Reddy, and Atulya Ghosh.

### Role of the Syndicate
- It played a major role in the selection of Lal Bahadur Shastri and later Indira Gandhi as Prime Minister.
- It had a decisive say in Indira Gandhi's first Council of Ministers.
- It influenced policy formulation and implementation.
- Later, it tried to control Indira Gandhi, but she gradually sidelined it and challenged its authority.

So, the Syndicate was a powerful inner-party group that acted as a king-maker in Congress politics.