Nature of Congress dominance

The dominance of the Congress party in the first three general elections was not unique to India — other countries have also seen one party dominate for long periods. But the crucial difference is that in most other cases, that dominance was achieved by compromising democracy. In China, Cuba, and Syria, the constitution permits only a single party to rule. In countries like Myanmar, Belarus, Egypt, and Eritrea, one-party rule is effectively enforced through legal and military measures. Until a few years ago, Mexico, South Korea, and Taiwan were also effectively one-party dominant states.

What made the Congress case different was that its dominance happened under fully democratic conditions. Many parties contested elections in conditions of free and fair elections, yet the Congress managed to win election after election. This was similar to the dominance the African National Congress (ANC) has enjoyed in South Africa after the end of apartheid.

Roots of Congress dominance

The extraordinary success of the Congress party had deep roots in the legacy of the freedom struggle.

• Inheritor of the national movement: Congress was seen as the natural inheritor of the national movement. Many leaders who were in the forefront of that struggle were now contesting elections as Congress candidates.
• Organisational head start: The Congress was already a very well-organised party. By the time other parties could even think of a strategy, the Congress had already started its campaign. Many parties were formed only around independence or after that. Thus, the Congress had the 'first off the blocks' advantage.
• Nationwide network: By the time of independence, the party had not only spread across the length and breadth of the country but also had an organisational network down to the local level.
• All-inclusive nature: Most importantly, as the Congress was till recently a national movement, its nature was all-inclusive. All these factors together contributed to its dominance.

Congress as a social and ideological coalition

The Congress began as a party dominated by the English-speaking, upper caste, upper middle-class, and urban elite. But with every civil disobedience movement it launched, its social base widened. It brought together diverse groups whose interests were often contradictory — peasants and industrialists, urban dwellers and villagers, workers and owners, middle, lower and upper classes and castes. All found space in the Congress. Gradually, its leadership also expanded beyond the upper caste and upper class professionals to include agriculture-based leaders with a rural orientation.

By the time of independence, the Congress was transformed into a rainbow-like social coalition broadly representing India's diversity in terms of classes and castes, religions and languages, and various interests. Many of these groups merged their identity within the Congress. Very often they did not, and continued to exist within the Congress as groups and individuals holding different beliefs.

In this sense, the Congress was an ideological coalition as well. It accommodated the revolutionary and pacifist, conservative and radical, extremist and moderate, and the right, left, and all shades of the centre. The Congress was a 'platform' for numerous groups, interests, and even political parties to take part in the national movement. In pre-independence days, many organisations and parties with their own constitution and organisational structure were allowed to exist within the Congress. Some of these, like the Congress Socialist Party, later separated from the Congress and became opposition parties. Despite differences regarding methods, specific programmes, and policies, the party managed to contain — if not resolve — differences and build a consensus.

Tolerance and management of factions

This coalition-like character of the Congress gave it an unusual strength.

That is why, even if a group was not happy with the position of the party or with its share of power, it would remain inside the party and fight the other groups rather than leaving the party and becoming an 'opposition'. These groups inside the party are called factions. The coalitional nature of the Congress party tolerated and in fact encouraged various factions. Some of these factions were based on ideological considerations, but very often they were rooted in personal ambitions and rivalries. …