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ERA OF ONE PARTY DOMINANCE
Politics in India since independence
SECOND CHALLENGE FOR
INDEPENDENT INDIA
• The second challenge for the Independent nation was to establish a democratic framework
• We have a representative democracy where the citizens are entitled the right to vote and they
can elect the representative of their choice whom they find fit to rule the nation.
• India has a Parliamentary form of government which has indirect support of theParliament.
• All the features ensure that the political competition would take place in the democratic
framework where the final power lies within the hands of the citizens.
• The major challenge was to develop democratic practices according to the newly made
Constitution
ADOPTION OF CONSTITUTION
• The Indian Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949, and was signed on 24 january 1950.
• The Constitution laid rules about how the government is to be elected, and how the citizens are to be ruled.
• For conducting free and fair elections a functional unit was established- the election Commission of India, in 1950.
• Sukumar sen became the first chief election Commissioner.
• The first general election was expected soon.
THE FIRST GENERAL ELECTION
• The first step was to mark the boundaries of the constituencies, this is known as delimitation.
• In the electoral roll (list containing names of eligible voters) 40 lakh women were not recorded.
• So the Election Commission refused these lists and ordered to revise them.
• There were 17 crore eligible voters, which were about to elect 3,200 MLAs and 489 members of
Lok sabha.
• Around 3 lakh officers and polling staff were trained to conduct the election.
• The first general election was t
ELECTION :- A BIG MAMMOTH TASK
• The first election was held from October 1951 to February 1952.
• It took 6 months for campaigning, polling and counting of votes.
• There were on an average 4 candidates for each seat.
DOMINANCE OF CONGRESS
• In the first general election the Indian National Congress won the majority
seats and Jawahar Lal Nehru became the first Prime Minister of
independent India
• Indian National Congress gained support of all the sections of the society
as they were actively participating in the National Movement.
• The Congress won 364 seats in Lok Sabha.
• After the state election the Congress failed to get majority seats In
states Travancore- Cochin, Madras and Orissa.
The Indian National Congress wOn the elections of 1957 and 1962
constructively
INCLUSIVE NATURE OF CONGRESS
• The Congress consisted of various groups of society such as peasants and Industrialist, Urban
dwellers and people from villages , workers and owners , middle lower and upper classes and castes.
• This also came to be known as Rainbow like social coalition .
• Congress also represented diverse ideologies such as conservative and radical , Revolutionary and
pacifist, extremists and moderates the left and right wings.
MANAGEMENT OF FACTIONS
• The main principles of coalition are :- compromise and inclusiveness.
• INC tolerated internal differences in ideologies.
• The group(s) which were not happy with the policies or ideas of Congress
remained in the party rather than making opposition.
• The groups inside the party are called factions.
• The presence of these factions in the party strengthened their position.
OPPOSITION PARTIES
• The opposition parties emerged in 1950s.
Advantages of opposition:-
• The opposition parties criticised the policies and practices of ruling party.
• They helped in maintaining balance of power within the Congress.
• They helped in improving the ruling leaders
• In the first general elections opposition included leaders like Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee.
FEW OPPOSITION PARTIES
SOCIALIST PARTY
• This party emerged within the Congress as Congress Socialist Party in 1934.
• The young leaders within the Party wanted a more radical and egalitarian
Congress.
• In 1948, an amendment was made restricting dual party membership.
• So, the socialists formed the Socialist Party.
• IDEOLOGY:- Democratic socialism ; criticised Congress for their inclination
towards capitalist and landlords.
• Leaders:- Rammanohar Lohia, Asoka Mehta
THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA
• The communists in 1920s concluded that socialism is solution to
all problems.
• In 1935, they worked under the Indian National Congress.
• In 1941, they supported British in the war with Nazis.
• In 1951, they participated in general elections and became the
opposition by winning 16 seats.
• Leaders :- A. K. Gopalan, S. A. Dange, P. C. Joshi
SWATANTRA PARTY
• The party emerged in 1959.
• Aims:- Land ceiling, take over of food grain trade by state,
adoption of cooperative farming
• They wanted a government which had less participation in
controlling the economy.
• They focused on individual freedom and expansion of free
private sector.
• Leaders:- C. Rajagopalachari, K. M. Munshi
BHARTIYA JANA SANGH
• The party was established in 1951, by Shyama Prasad Mukherjee.
• IDEOLOGY:- One country = one culture = one nation
• They opposed granting concession to religious and cultural minority.
• They focused on nuclear weapon development
• Leaders:- Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Deen Dayal Upadhyay, Balraj
Madhok