Question

Evaluate any three outcomes of the Lok Sabha elections of 1971. 

Answer 1

Outcomes of the Lok Sabha elections of 1971:

1. The Congress(R)-CPl combination won more seats and votes than the Congress had in the previous four general elections combined. The coalition won 375 Lok Sabha seats and received 48.4 percent of the vote. Indira Gandhi's Congress (R) won 352 seats with around 44 percent of the popular vote.
2. In contrast, the Congress(O), although having so many stalwarts, received less than one-fourth of the votes earned by Indira Gandhi's party and won only 16 seats.
3. With this, the Congress party, led by Indira Gandhi, asserted its claim to be the'real' Congress and reclaimed its dominant position in Indian politics.
4. The opposition's Grand Alliance was a colossal failure. Their total number of seats was fewer than 40.
5. While it won elections, it was more dependent on certain social groups: the poor, women, Dalits, Adivasis, and minorities.
6. This was a newly formed Congress. As a result, Indira Gandhi was able to reestablish the Congress system by altering the essence of the Congress system itself.