Fourth General Elections, 1967| Class 12 Political Science

Fourth General Elections, 1967 is a subpart of the Class 12 Political Science Chapter 5 that is denoted as the Challenges To And Restoration Of The Congress System. The subpart Fourth General Elections, 1967 describes the political context of India in 1967. The subpart includes and narrates the Context of the elections, Non-Congressism, Electoral verdict, Coalitions, and Defection at this time.

In this article, we are going to discuss the Class 12 Political Science Chapter 5 subpart of Fourth General Elections, 1967 in detail.

Fourth General Elections, 1967

The Fourth General Elections, 1967 is considered as a landmark year and election in Indian Political history. In past elections, congress had a dominant position in Indian politics from the 1952 elections. However, the 1967 elections changed the whole political concept of India. In 1967, the inflation was too high which also challenged the political environment of the country. Common people started to protest against this situation and so many communist parties demanded social equality. Gradually, the socialist parties also joined in the same flow of the protest. It was the era and time when communal riots became so frequent incidents.

Context of the Elections

The fourth General Elections, 1967 was a significant time for Indian politics with so many major challenges. The continuous deaths of two prime ministers created a void situation in the central government. The government faced uncertainty which was reflected in the country’s economy. At the same time, so many natural disasters happened like drought and it created an agricultural decline, food shortages, a decline in the foreign reserves, and reduced industrial production. The military expenses also increased at this time but export imports went downwards.

To address these problems, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi made so many controversial decisions to increase the value of the Indian Rupee in the International Market. It was a move that was totally influenced by the USA. The protest started in this situation across the country and created more economic distress in the whole nation. By taking advantage of these situations opposition parties increased their movements. These also caused so many communal riots and political tensions.

Non-Congressism

These problematic socio-economic problems in India became the major aspects of the political parties. Opposition parties used this opportunity and organized so many public protests to create pressure on the Congress party. The opposition parties came together with each other and created alliances to fight against the Congress. The alliances started to share the seats with each other at this time.

The Non-Congressism term evolved when the Ram Monohar Lohia came into the picture. Lohia critically argued and criticized the Congress party for being undemocratic to the people. He said that the unity against the Congress will give the democracy back which will be for the public interest.

Coalitions, Electoral Verdict and Defection

Fourth General Elections, 1967 marked as a highly politically polarized election ever. This was the first time in Indian politics that when Congress party faced the election without Jawaharlal Nehru. Some critics saw it as a political earthquake at that time. The Congress party managed to secure Lok Sabha with so many losses. So many congress leaders were defeated and suffered from significant setbacks. Due to defection policy, the Congress party was unable to make the government in two states.

Fourth General Elections, 1967- FAQs

How did the fourth general election of 1967 change the dynamics of Indian politics?

The elections of 1967 brought into picture the phenomenon of coalitions. Since no single party had got majority, various non- Congress parties came together to form joint legislative parties (called Samyukt Vidhayak Dal in Hindi) that supported non-Congress governments.

Who was in power in 1967 in India?

Its members were elected in February and March 1967. 13 sitting members from the Rajya Sabha were elected to the 4th Lok Sabha in the general election. Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister as in the previous 3rd Lok Sabha.

What were the results of the 1967 Andhra Pradesh Assembly election?

Out of a total of 1,067 candidates, 276 men and eleven women were elected. The Indian National Congress won 165 seats, the Swatantra Party (SWA) won twenty-nine seats and the Independent Party won sixty-eight seats.

When did Indira Gandhi lose the election?

Following the nationwide Emergency implemented by her, she faced massive anti-incumbency and lost the 1977 general election, the first time for the Congress party to do so. Gandhi was ousted from office and even lost her seat in parliament in the election.

Who was the Prime Minister of India from 1967 to 1969?

Smt. Indira Gandhi was the first woman Prime Minister of India and served the nation for two terms. During her tenure, India won the 1971 war against Pakistan which resulted in the creation of Bangladesh.

Who is longest serving PM in India?

The longest-serving prime minister was Jawaharlal Nehru, also the first prime minister, whose tenure lasted 16 years and 286 days. His premiership was followed by Lal Bahadur Shastri’s short tenure and Indira Gandhi’s 11- and 4-year-long tenures, both politicians belonging to the Indian National Congress.