Times of Indi xman in the La | Class 12 Political Science Notes

Split in the Congress

After the 1967 elections, the Congress party faced internal challenges that culminated in a formal split in 1969. Although Congress retained power at the Centre, it lost ground in many states, and the opposition had demonstrated it could challenge Congress dominance. The party was divided between the 'Syndicate'—a group of powerful, senior leaders who controlled the party organization—and Indira Gandhi, who sought to assert her independence and leadership.

The Syndicate, led by K. Kamraj and including leaders like S.K. Patil, S. Nijalingappa, N. Sanjeeva Reddy, and Atulya Ghosh, had been instrumental in installing Indira Gandhi as Prime Minister but expected her to follow their guidance. However, Indira Gandhi gradually sidelined the Syndicate by choosing her own advisers and pursuing a left-leaning policy agenda, including social control of banks, nationalization of general insurance, land reforms, and public distribution of food grains. This ideological shift created tensions within the party.

The conflict came to a head during the 1969 Presidential election after the death of President Zakir Hussain. The Syndicate nominated S. Sanjeeva Reddy as the official Congress candidate, while Indira Gandhi supported V.V. Giri, who ran as an independent. Indira Gandhi called for a 'conscience vote', allowing Congress MPs and MLAs to vote freely. V.V. Giri won, marking a defeat for the Syndicate. Subsequently, the Congress President expelled Indira Gandhi from the party, formalizing the split into Congress (Organisation) led by the Syndicate and Congress (Requisitionists) led by Indira Gandhi. Indira Gandhi framed the split as an ideological divide between socialists and conservatives, pro-poor and pro-rich factions.

📊 Diagram: Includes photographs of key leaders like K. Kamraj and S. Nijalingappa, and cartoons depicting the leadership rivalry and split within the Congress party.

🧪 Activity: No specific activity, but the section includes analysis of political strategies and ideological shifts.

🔗 Connection: Leads to the discussion of key political events like the abolition of privy purse and the 1971 elections that consolidated Indira Gandhi's leadership.