NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Political Science Chapter 5 Challenges to And Restoration of The Congress System

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Chapter 5 Challenges to And Restoration of The Congress System Class 12 Political Science II NCERT Solutions

1. Which of these statements about the 1967 elections is/are correct?
(a) Congress won the Lok Sabha elections but lost the Assembly elections in many states.
(b) Congress lost both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
(c) Congress lost majority in the Lok Sabha but formed a coalition government with the support of some other parties.
(d) Congress retained power at the Centre with an increased majority.

Solution

(a) Congress won the Lok Sabha elections but lost the Assembly elections in many states.
(c) Congress lost majority in the Lok Sabha but formed a coalition government with the support of some other parties.

2. Match the following:

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

Solution

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

3. Whom would you identify with the following slogans/phrases?
(a) Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan
(b) Indira Hatao!
(c) Garibi Hatao!

Solution

(a) Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan: Lal Bahadur Shastri
(b) Indira Hatao!: Jayaprakash Narayan
(c) Garibi Hatao!: Indira Gandhi

4. Which of the following statement about the Grand Alliance of 1971 is correct? The Grand Alliance ………..
(a) was formed by non-Communist, non-Congress parties.
(b) had a clear political and ideological programme.
(c) was formed by all non-Congress parties.

Solution

The Grand Alliance was formed by non-Communist, non-Congress parties.

5. How should a political party resolve its internal differences? Here are some suggestions. Think of each and list out their advantages and shortcomings.
(a) Follow the footsteps of the party president
(b) Listen to the majority group
(c) Secret ballot voting on every issue
(d) Consult the senior and experienced leaders of the party

Solution

(a) Advantage: If the party continues in the path of the party head, the party will be disciplined and united.
Shortcoming: The party head can make decisions without considering the opinions of its members. As a result, internal democracy may suffer.

(b) Advantage: If the party responds to the majority, there will be more trust in the party, and the organization will be reinforced.
Shortcoming: If the party responds to the dominant group, factionalism within the party may grow. To gain favor, one group may attempt to assist another.

(c) Advantage: It gives chance to everyone to take part in decision making.
Shortcoming: Party members may sometimes cast private ballot by disregarding the order given by the party head. It could be deadly to the party.

(d) Advantage: Novice and less experienced contenders will profit from consulting with senior and experienced party officials and following their recommendations.
Shortcoming: If the senior members are only considered, their hold on the party will be strengthened.

6. State which of these were reasons for the defeat of the Congress in 1967. Give reasons for your answer.
(a) The absence of a charismatic leader in the Congress party
(b) Split within the Congress party
(c) Increased mobilisation of regional, ethnic and communal groups
(d) Increasing unity among non-Congress parties
(e) Internal differences within the Congress party

Solution

(a) This is not the case because the party had many charismatic leaders, including Indira Gandhi.
(b) It was one of the primary causes for the Congress party’s loss. The party had now been divided into two groups. The Syndicate had a firm grip on the Congress party, whereas Indira followers were more loyal to their leader.
(c) This could be one of the reasons, but it is not the most important. There were many regional parties which divided the vote bank.
(d) Non-Congress parties were not united.
(e) Internal differences was one of the major causes of its defeat.

7. What were the factors which led to the popularity of Indira Gandhi’s Government in the early 1970s?

Solution

Smt. Indira Gandhi became very popular due to her charismatic personality. Like Jawaharlal Nehru, Smt. Indira Gandhi possessed an unparalled personality. In the elections to the Fourth Lok Sabha, held in 1971, people voted for the Congress on account of the fact that it was being led by Mrs. Indira Gandhi.

Socialist policies of Indira Gandhi’s Government made her very popular among the masses. Smt. Indira Gandhi pursued a vigorous policy in 1969 of land reform and ordered the nationalisation of India’s fourteen largest banks.

Indira Gandhi’s popularity grew as a result of the East Pakistan conflict and the Indo-Pak war to create Bangladesh as an independent country.

8. What does the term ‘syndicate’ mean in the context of the Congress party of the sixties? What role did the Syndicate play in the Congress party?

Solution

Syndicate was the informal name given to a group of Congress leaders who were in control of the party’s organisation. Syndicate played a crucial part in installing both Lai Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi as Prime Ministers in the 1960s. It was led by K. Kamraj, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and then the president of the Congress party. These leaders expected Indira Gandhi to follow their advise. After a split, two groups in Congress were created i.e. Congress (O), led by Syndicate and Congress (R), led by Indira Gandhi. Congress (R), won popularity after 1971 and Syndicate lost power and prestige.

9. Discuss the major issue which led to the formal split of the Congress Party in 1969.

Solution

Despite Mrs Gandhi’s reservations the ‘syndicate’ managed to nominate her long time opponent and then speaker of the Lok Sabha, N. Sanjeeva Reddy, as the official Congress candidate for the ensuing Presidential elections. Indira Gandhi retaliated by encouraging the then Vice-President, V.V. Giri, to file his nomination as an independent candidate.

The then Congress President S. Nijalingappa issued a ‘whip’ asking all the Congress MPs and MLAs to vote in favour of Sanjeeva Reddy, the official candidate of the party.

After silently supporting V.V. Giri, the Prime Minister openly called for a ‘conscience vote’ which meant that the MPs and MLAs from the Congress should be free to vote the way they want.

The defeat of the official Congress candidate formalised the split in the party. The Congress President expelled the Prime Minister from the party; she claimed that her group was the real Congress.

By November 1969, the Congress group led by the ‘syndicate’ came to be referred to as the Congress (Organisation) and the group led by Indira Gandhi came to be called the Congress (Requisitionists).

10. Read the passage and answer the questions below :-

“… Indira Gandhi changed the Congress into highly centralised and undemocratic party organisation, from the earlier federal, democratic and ideological formation that Nehru had led. … But this … could not have happened had not Indira Gandhi changed the entire nature of politics. This new, populist politics turned political ideology … into a mere electoral discourse, use of various slogans not meant to be translated into government policies…. During its great electoral victories in early 1970s, amidst the celebration, the Congress party as a political organisation died……….. —Sudipta Kaviraj

(a) What according to the author is the difference between the strategies of Nehru and Indira Gandhi?
(b) Why does the author say that the Congress party ‘died’ in the seventies?
(c) In what way, did the change in the Congress party affect other political parties also?

Solution

(a) Nehru led the party into federal and democratic manner while Indira Gandhi converted the party into centralised and undemocratic.
(b) Because there was change in the nature of congress, including electoral discourage and the use of various slogans to suppress the other.
(c) The change in ideologies of congress gave rise to several regional parties and moreover the split also added fire to the flame.