Defection

The 1967 election did more than just break the Congress Party's dominance in several states — it also unleashed a period of extreme political instability. The most striking symptom of this instability was the phenomenon of defection.

Defection is the act of an elected representative leaving the party on whose symbol they were elected and joining another party. After the 1967 general election, this practice became widespread. Breakaway Congress legislators, in particular, played a decisive role in installing non-Congress governments in three states: Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.

The constant realignments and shifting loyalties of this period gave rise to a famous expression in Indian political vocabulary: 'Aya Ram, Gaya Ram' (literally, 'Ram came, Ram went'). The phrase was used to mock the frequent floor-crossing by legislators.