Political Science · Ch 12 — Challenges to and Restoration of the Congress System
From Shastri to Indira Gandhi
From Shastri to Indira Gandhi
The Second Succession Challenge
The Congress party faced the problem of choosing a new Prime Minister for the second time in just two years. After Lal Bahadur Shastri's sudden death in Tashkent in January 1966, the party had to find a successor quickly. This time, the contest was far more intense than the quiet consensus that had elevated Shastri after Nehru's death.
Two main candidates emerged: Morarji Desai and Indira Gandhi. Morarji Desai had been Chief Minister of Bombay state (which later became Maharashtra and Gujarat) and had also served as a Union Minister at the centre. He was an experienced administrator with a strong base. Indira Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru's daughter, had been Congress President in 1959 and had served as Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting in Shastri's cabinet. Her tenure as a minister, however, had been brief.
The senior leaders of the Congress party — often called the "Syndicate" — decided to back Indira Gandhi. But this decision was not unanimous. Morarji Desai refused to withdraw, forcing a leadership election. The contest was resolved through a secret ballot among Congress MPs. Indira Gandhi won decisively, securing the support of more than two-thirds of the party's MPs.
A peaceful transition of power, despite such intense competition, was seen as a sign of India's democratic maturity. The British newspaper The Guardian (3 June 1964) had earlier noted that India's succession after Nehru was handled with more dispatch and dignity than the succession drama after Harold Macmillan in Britain.
Indira Gandhi's Early Challenges
It took time for the new Prime Minister to settle down. Although Indira Gandhi had been politically active for a long time, she had served as a minister under Shastri for only a short period. The senior Congress leaders who supported her may have done so believing that her administrative and political inexperience would make her dependent on them for guidance and support.
Within a year of becoming Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi had to lead the party in a Lok Sabha election. Around this time, the economic situation in the country had deteriorated further — food shortages, rising prices, and a devaluation of the rupee added to her problems. Faced with these difficulties, she set out to gain control over the party and to demonstrate her leadership skills.
Key Figures at a Glance
| Person | Role / Significance |
|---|---|
| Lal Bahadur Shastri | Prime Minister of India (1964–1966); participated in freedom movement since 1930; minister in UP cabinet; General Secretary of Congress; Union Minister from 1951–1956 (resigned after railway accident) and 1957–1964; coined the slogan 'Jai Jawan-Jai Kisan'. |