Q.Read the passage and answer the questions below:
Indian democracy was never so close to a two-party system as it was during the 1977 elections. However, the next few years saw a complete change. Soon after its defeat, the Indian National Congress split into two groups……….. … … …The Janata Party also went through major convulsions…..David Butler, Ashok Lahiri and Prannoy Roy. — Partha Chatterjee
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →The 1977 elections created the appearance of a two-party system because two major alliances — the Congress and the Janata Party — dominated the electoral contest, even though many smaller parties existed.
- What made the party system in India look like a two-party system in 1977?
The 1977 general elections were extraordinary in Indian political history. For the first time since independence, the Indian National Congress — the party that had led the freedom movement and governed continuously — was defeated. The opposition had united under a single umbrella, the Janata Party, to fight the elections. This created a direct, head-to-head contest between two major political formations: the Congress on one side and the Janata Party on the other. Voters across the country saw the choice as essentially between these two, making the party system appear, for that moment, like a two-party system.
Note
A two-party system means that only two major parties have a realistic chance of forming the government, and all other parties are either very small or allied with one of the two. In 1977, the Congress and the Janata Party were the only two serious contenders for power.
- Many more than two parties existed in 1977. Why then are the authors describing this period as close to a two-party system?
The authors are not saying that only two parties existed. They are saying that the structure of competition resembled a two-party system. In 1977, several smaller parties — such as the Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, and others — did contest and win seats. But the crucial point is that these parties were not in a position to form the government on their own. The real battle for power was between the Congress and the Janata Party. The smaller parties either allied with one of these two or remained marginal in the national contest. So, while the number of parties was large, the effective number of competitors for government was just two.
Important
A two-party system is defined by the pattern of competition, not by the total number of parties. In 1977, the Congress and the Janata Party together won over 95% of the seats in the Lok Sabha, leaving almost no room for any third party to influence the formation of government.
- What caused splits in Congress and the Janata parties? The splits in both parties were driven by internal conflicts over leadership, ideology, and strategy. In the Congress, the defeat of 1977 was a severe shock. The party had lost its aura of invincibility. Soon after, a faction led by Indira Gandhi broke away from the main Congress party, which was then led by other senior leaders. The split was essentially about who would control the party and what direction it should take — whether to stick with the old guard or to rebuild under Indira Gandhi's leadership. This division led to the formation of Congress (I) — the 'I' standing for Indira. …
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