157-536: Chaudhary Charan Singh (23 December 1902 – 29 May 1987), better known as Charan Singh was an Indian politician and a freedom fighter. Singh was principally known for his land and agricultural reform initiatives. He briefly served as the prime minister of India from July 1979 to August 1979 and was Member of Parliament (MP) for Baghpat . During prime ministership he was a member of the Janata Party (Secular) . He served as 5th Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh as
314-632: A Bachelor of Science degree and then he did Master of Arts in history in 1925. In 1927 he did Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Meerut College . Then they shifted to Bulandshahr district of present day Uttar Pradesh after their downfall due to Raja Nahar Sigh Ballabhgarh opposition to the British during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 . Singh entered politics as a part of Indian independence movement motivated by Mahatma Gandhi . Singh followed Gandhi in non-violent struggle for independence from
471-585: A mixed economy where the government-controlled public sector co-existed with the private sector . He believed the establishment of basic and heavy industries was fundamental to the development and modernisation of the Indian economy. The Nehru government directed investment primarily into key public sector industries—steel, iron, coal, and power—promoting their development with subsidies and protectionist policies. Nehru embraced secularism, socialistic economic practices based on state-driven industrialisation, and
628-527: A non-aligned and non-confrontational foreign policy that became typical of the modern Congress Party. The policy of non-alignment during the Cold War meant Nehru received financial and technical support from both the Eastern and Western Blocs to build India's industrial base from nothing. During his period in office, there were four known assassination attempts on Nehru. The first attempt on his life
785-503: A pan-Indian organization for nationalist political influence. In 1883, Allan Octavian Hume , a retired British Civil Servant also known for his pro-Indian activities, outlined his idea for a body representing Indian interests in an open letter to graduates of the University of Calcutta . The aim was to obtain a greater share in government for educated Indians and to create a platform for civic and political dialogue between them and
942-456: A "firm hand in dealing with the demands of government employees for increased wages and dearness allowances." It is also worth noting that within the factional Uttar Pradesh Congress, his ability to articulate his clear policies and values made him stand out from his colleagues. Following this period, Charan Singh defected from the Congress on 1 April 1967, joined the opposition party, and became
1099-571: A Government in any Province. Congress Ministers resigned in October and November 1939 in protest against Viceroy Lord Linlithgow 's declaration that India was a belligerent in World War II without consulting the Indian people . In 1939, Subhas Chandra Bose , the elected President of India in both 1938 and 1939, resigned from Congress over the selection of the working committee. Congress
1256-664: A Master of Arts (MA) degree in 1925 and a law degree in 1926 from Agra University. He started practice as a civil lawyer at Ghaziabad in 1928. In February 1937 he was elected from the constituency of Chhaprauli (Baghpat) to the Legislative Assembly of the United Provinces at the age of 34. In 1938 he introduced an Agricultural Produce Market Bill in the Assembly which was published in the issues of The Hindustan Times of Delhi dated 31 March 1938. The Bill
1413-624: A consensus candidate could be picked. Following the election, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was chosen as the leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi was chosen as the deputy leader in Lok Sabha, and Ravneet Singh Bittu was chosen as the party whip. Based on an analysis of the candidates' poll affidavits, a report by the National Election Watch (NEW) and the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) says that,
1570-462: A degree of anti-incumbency sentiment. The 1996 general elections witnessed the emergence of a fractured mandate, leading to the absence of a clear majority for any single party. Congress was reduced to 140 seats in elections that year, its lowest number in the Lok Sabha yet. Rao later resigned as prime minister and, in September, as party president. He was succeeded as president by Sitaram Kesri ,
1727-472: A few months before the elections under the Janata Party banner, for which Chaudhary Charan Singh had been struggling almost single-handedly since 1974. It was because of the efforts of Raj Narain that he became Prime Minister in the year 1979 though Raj Narain was Chairman of Janata Party-Secular and assured Charan Singh of elevating him as Prime Minister, the way he helped him to become Chief Minister in
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#17327831678401884-478: A member of Bhartiya Kranti Dal . He also briefly served as deputy prime minister of India from January 1979 to July 1979 as a member of the Janata Party . Singh is widely regarded as the " Champion of farmers ", after his life has been dedicated to advocating for the wellbeing and rights of farmers. Singh was born in Meerut district , United Provinces of Agra and Oudh . He graduated from Agra College in 1923 with
2041-671: A national hero following victory in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 . His slogan, " Jai Jawan Jai Kisan " ("Hail the soldier, Hail the farmer"), became very popular during the war. On 11 January 1966, a day after signing the Tashkent Declaration , Shastri died in Tashkent, reportedly of a heart attack; but the circumstances of his death remain mysterious. After Shastri's death, Congress elected Indira Gandhi as leader over Morarji Desai . Once again, K. Kamaraj
2198-496: A nationwide public opinion that British colonialism was the primary reason for India’s poverty and economic exploitation. The moderate leaders had several demands, including proper representation of Indians on the Legislative Councils and an increase in the powers of these councils. They also advocated for administrative reforms and voiced their opinions on international issues. They opposed the annexation of Burma ,
2355-435: A new opposition party, popularly called Congress (I)—the "I" signifying Indira. During the next year, her new party attracted enough members of the legislature to become the official opposition. In November 1978, Gandhi regained a parliamentary seat. In January 1980, following a landslide victory for Congress (I), she was again elected prime minister. The national election commission declared Congress (I) to be
2512-590: A new parliamentary leader of the Congress party who would then become prime minister. During the leadership contest to succeed Nehru, the preference was between Morarji Desai and Lal Bahadur Shashtri. Eventually, Shashtri was selected as the next parliamentary leader thus the Prime Minister. Kamaraj was widely credited as the "kingmaker" in for ensuring the victory of Lal Bahadur Shastri over Morarji Desai. As prime minister, Shastri retained most of members of Nehru's Council of Ministers ; T. T. Krishnamachari
2669-479: A pair of bullocks carrying a yoke while Indira's breakaway faction was given a new symbol of a cow with a suckling calf by the Election Commission as the party election symbol. The Congress (O) eventually merged with other opposition parties to form the Janata Party . "India might be an ancient country but was a young democracy and as such should remain vigilant against the domination of few over
2826-478: A patriot, administrator, statesman, and a man of integrity and humanist values. Kisan Kranti Ke Praneta – Ch. Charan Singh is a 1996 short documentary film directed by Ashok Vazirani and produced by the Films Division of India which covers the life and achievements of the prime minister including his contributions to the Indian agriculture sector . Charan Singh has also been portrayed by Anwar Fatehan in
2983-411: A result of prevailing nationalism, Gandhi's popularity, and the party's attempts at eradicating caste differences, untouchability , poverty, and religious and ethnic divisions, Congress became a forceful and dominant group. Although its members were predominantly Hindu, it had members from other religions, economic classes, and ethnic and linguistic groups. At the Congress 1929 Lahore session under
3140-518: A result, unrepresentative of the Indian masses at the time, it functioned more as a stage for elite Indian ambitions than a political party for the first two decade of its existence. Since its establishment, the Congress was led by Moderate leaders, who were influenced by Western political ideas, particularly liberalism . They emphasized individual dignity, the right to freedom , and equality for all, regardless of caste, creed, or sex. This philosophy guided them in opposing British autocracy, demanding
3297-691: A sharp break from previous leaders. However, it lost the 1996 general election and was replaced in government by the National Front. After a record eight years out of office, the Congress-led coalition known as the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) under Manmohan Singh formed a government the 2004 general elections . Subsequently, the UPA again formed the government after winning the 2009 general elections , and Singh became
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#17327831678403454-410: A split occurred between two factions within the Congress known as Surat Split . Annie Besant , an Irish theosophist, moved to India in 1893 and became actively involved in the Congress. Recognizing the importance of full cooperation from the extremists for the success of the movement, both Tilak and Besant realized that it was necessary to secure the full cooperation of the moderates. In 1915, during
3611-468: A strong welfare state . Being a centrist party, its policies predominantly reflected balanced positions including secularism , egalitarianism , and social stratification . The INC supports contemporary economic reforms such as liberalisation , privatisation and globalization . A total of 61 people have served as the president of the INC since its formation. Sonia Gandhi is the longest-serving president of
3768-505: Is additionally structured into various committees and segments including the Working Committee (CWC), Seva Dal , Indian Youth Congress (IYC), Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), and National Students' Union of India (NSUI). The party holds the annual plenary sessions, at which senior Congress figures promote party policy. During the latter part of the 1870s, there were concerted efforts among Indians to establish
3925-505: Is appointed by the president of India ; however, the prime minister has to enjoy the confidence of the majority of Lok Sabha members, who are directly elected every five years , unless a prime minister resigns. The prime minister is the presiding member of the Council of Ministers of the Union government . The prime minister unilaterally controls the selection and dismissal of members of
4082-477: Is celebrated across India to honor his memory and his unwavering dedication to the agrarian community. To commemorate his second death anniversary, the Government of India issued a postage stamp on 29 May 1990. The stamp symbolises the nation’s respect for his contributions as the 5th prime minister of India and a champion of farmers’ rights. His commitment to the agricultural sector were further immortalised with
4239-519: Is the chief executive of the Government of India and chair of the Union Council of Ministers . Although the president of India is the constitutional, nominal, and ceremonial head of state, in practice and ordinarily, the executive authority is vested in the prime minister and their chosen Council of Ministers. The prime minister is the leader elected by the party with a majority in
4396-898: Is the first leader outside the Indian National Congress who formed government in the northern India and became 5th chief minister of Uttar Pradesh . He was awarded with the Bharat Ratna in 2024. Singh was born on 23 December 1902 to Mir Singh and Netar Kaur in Nurpur village of Meerut district , United Provinces of Agra and Oudh . His father was a farmer belonging to the Tewatia Shivi gotra of Jats . Singh started his primary education in Jani Khurd village in Meerut. He did his Matriculation and Intermediate from
4553-416: The 2019 Indian general election with a bigger margin than last time, granting a second term for the incumbent Modi government. In 2024 Indian general election , incumbent BJP losses majority but remains the single largest party in the country, and BJP and its National Democratic Alliance forms the government. Modi becomes the prime minister for the third consecutive time , second only to do so after
4710-471: The 2019 election , due to the party's dismal electoral performance. The party only won 52 seats, eight more than the previous election. Its vote percentage once again fell below 20 per cent. Following Gandhi's resignation, party leaders began deliberations for a suitable candidate to replace him. The Congress Working Committee met on 10 August to make a final decision on the matter and passed a resolution asking Sonia Gandhi to take over as interim president until
4867-821: The British Raj . Hume initiated contact with prominent leaders in India and conducted the first session of the Indian National Congress at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay from 28 to 31 December 1885. A notice convening the first meeting of the Indian National Union to be held in Poona the following December, was issued. However, due to a cholera outbreak there it was moved to Bombay. In its first two decades of formation, Congress
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5024-693: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM), and various regional parties, such as the Telugu Desam Party , Trinamool Congress and Aam Aadmi Party . A post- partition successor to the party survived as the Pakistan National Congress , a party which represented the rights of religious minorities in the state. The party's support was strongest in the Bengali-speaking province of East Pakistan . After
5181-467: The Congress (Socialist) party as his Deputy Prime Minister. His name got etched in history as he hoisted the tricolour at the coveted Red Fort on Independence Day , 15 August 1979. In his speech on Independence Day, Charan Singh said: ‘To be able to achieve noble objectives, your means should also be equally noble…A country where people are corrupt, will never be able to progress whosoever may be
5338-547: The Congress Working Committee (CWC) held an election for the next president of the INC, to succeed Rahul Gandhi. The election was held on 17 October 2022 and counting took place on 19 October 2022. The candidates in the race were Kerala MP Shashi Tharoor and Karnataka MP Mallikarjun Kharge . Mallikarjun Kharge won the election in a landslide, securing 7,897 out of the 9,385 votes cast. His rival, Shashi Tharoor, secured 1,072 votes. Kharge would lead
5495-614: The Haryana 's Gurgaon district , where they were revenue collectors during the Mughal period . But they shifted to Bulandshahr district of the present-day Uttar Pradesh after their downfall due to one of their prominent Raja Nahar Singh Ballabhgarh opposition to the British during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 . Singh entered politics as part of the Indian Independence Movement motivated by Mahatma Gandhi . He
5652-613: The Hindi Belt . Indira Gandhi, on the other side, wanted to use a populist agenda in order to mobilise popular support for the party. Her faction, called Congress (R), was supported by most of the Congress MPs while the original party had the support of only 65 MPs. In the All India Congress Committee, 446 of its 705 members walked over to Indira's side. The "Old Congress" retained the party symbol of
5809-534: The Indian Army to enter the Golden Temple to establish control over the complex and remove Bhindranwale and his armed followers. This event is known as Operation Blue Star . On 31 October 1984, two of Gandhi's bodyguards, Satwant Singh and Beant Singh , shot her with their service weapons in the garden of the prime minister's residence in response to her authorisation of Operation Blue Star. Gandhi
5966-446: The Indian National Congress lost the 1977 Indian general election to the Janata Party , whose leader Morarji Desai became the first non-Congress prime minister. After Desai resigned in 1979, his former associate Charan Singh briefly held office until the Congress won the 1980 Indian general election and Indira Gandhi returned as prime minister. Her second term as prime minister ended five years later on 31 October 1984, when she
6123-869: The Industries portfolio , was personally responsible for the dismantling of the Licence Raj , which came under the purview of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Rao accelerated the dismantling of the Licence Raj, reversing the socialist policies of previous governments. He employed Manmohan Singh as his finance minister to begin historic economic changes. With Rao's mandate, Singh launched reforms for India's globalisation that involved implementing International Monetary Fund (IMF) policies to prevent India's impending economic collapse . Future prime ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh continued
6280-543: The Janata government headed by Morarji Desai . Charan Singh for the first time, became Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh on 3 April 1967 with the help of Samyukta Vidhayak Dal coalition. Samyukta Vidhayak Dal was formed after failure of negotiations between Charan Singh and Chandra Bhanu Gupta on the composition of Gupta's ministry. Singh wanted some of his allies like Jai Ram Varma and Udit Narain Sharma to be included in
6437-460: The Kamaraj Plan to Nehru that encouraged six Congress chief ministers (including himself) and six senior cabinet ministers to resign to take up party work. In 1964, Nehru died because of an aortic dissection , raising questions about the party's future. Following the death of Nehru, Gulzarilal Nanda was appointed as the interim prime minister on 27 May 1964, pending the election of
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6594-526: The Right to Information Act , and a right to education act. The NAC, as well as the Left Front that supported the government from the outside, were widely seen as being the driving force behind such legislation. The Left Front withdrew its support of the government over disagreements about the U.S.–India Civil Nuclear Agreement . Despite the effective loss of 62 seats in parliament, the government survived
6751-729: The Soviet Union . In the aftermath of the Sino-Indian War of 1962, and the formation of military ties between China and Pakistan, Shastri's government expanded the defence budget of India's armed forces. He also promoted the White Revolution—a national campaign to increase the production and supply of milk by creating the National Dairy Development Board . The Madras anti-Hindi agitation of 1965 occurred during Shastri's tenure. Shastri became
6908-632: The Supreme Court . In response to increasing disorder and lawlessness, Gandhi's ministry recommended that President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed declare a State of Emergency , based on the provisions of Article 352 of the Constitution . During the nineteen-month emergency , widespread oppression and abuse of power by Gandhi's unelected younger son and political heir Sanjay Gandhi and his close associates occurred. Implemented on 25 June 1975,
7065-408: The official opposition yet again. In the 2024 general election , the party performed better-than-expected, and won 99 seats later becoming 101, forming the official opposition with their highest seat count in a decade. On social issues, it advocates secular policies that encourage equal opportunity , right to health , right to education , civil liberty , and support social market economy , and
7222-546: The 1969 nationalisation of India's 14 largest banks. The 1969 attempt by Indira Gandhi government to abolish privy purse and the official recognition of the titles did not meet with success. The constitutional Amendment bill to this effect was passed in Lok Sabha, but it failed to get the required two-thirds majority in the Rajya Sabha. However, in 1971, with the passage of the Twenty-sixth Amendment to
7379-537: The 2013 television series Pradhanmantri ( lit. ' Prime Minister ' ), which covers the tenures of Indian PMs, by Sundaram in the 2019 film NTR: Mahanayakudu which is based on the life of Indian actor-politician N. T. Rama Rao ., and by Govind Namdeo in the 2021 film Main Mulayam Singh Yadav which charts the life of former Uttar Pradesh CM Mulayam Singh Yadav . List of prime ministers of India The prime minister of India
7536-592: The Bangladeshi War of Independence, it became known as the Bangladeshi National Congress , but was dissolved in 1975 by the government. From 1951 until his death in 1964, Jawaharlal Nehru was the paramount leader of the party. Congress gained power in landslide victories in the general elections of 1951–52, 1957, and 1962. During his tenure, Nehru implemented policies based on import substitution industrialisation , and advocated
7693-717: The Bombay Presidency Association, Ganesh Vasudeo Joshi of the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha , social reformer and newspaper editor Gopal Ganesh Agarkar , Justice K. T. Telang , N. G. Chandavarkar , Dinshaw Wacha , Behramji Malabari , journalist, and activist Gooty Kesava Pillai , and P. Rangaiah Naidu of the Madras Mahajana Sabha . The majority of the founding members of Congress has been educated or lived in Britain. As
7850-509: The British Empire. The INC is a " big tent " party that has been described as sitting on the centre of the Indian political spectrum. The party held its first session in 1885 in Bombay where W.C. Bonnerjee presided over it. After Indian independence in 1947, Congress emerged as a catch-all and secular party, dominating Indian politics for the next 50 years. The party's first prime minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru , led
8007-517: The British Empire. Herfeafter, the Moderates followed a two-fold approach to achieve their goals. First, they aimed to build strong public opinion to inspire a sense of national consciousness and unity, while educating the masses on shared political issues. Second, they sought to influence both the British government and public opinion, advocating for reforms in India that aligned with the demands of
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#17327831678408164-546: The British Government, and was imprisoned several times. In 1930, he was sent to jail for 12 years by the British for contravention of the salt laws. He was jailed again for one year in November 1940 for individual Satyagraha movement. In August 1942 he was jailed again by the British under DIR and released in November 1943. He was a Congress member for most of his life, he later founded his own Lok Dal party. He
8321-496: The British and focused on building mass support instilling in them a sense of self -respect, self-reliance, pride in their ancient heritage and national unity to attain their objectives. The Extremist leaders opposed the use of violence against British rule and did not condone methods such as political murder and assassination. They successfully engaged the urban middle and lower classes, as well as mobilized peasants and workers. The Extremist leaders utilized religious symbols to inspire
8478-557: The British war effort, Mahatma Gandhi made a call to " Do or Die " in his Quit India movement delivered in Bombay on 8 August 1942 at the Gowalia Tank Maidan and opposed any help to the British in World War II . The British government responded with mass arrests including that of Gandhi and Congress leaders and killed over 1,000 Indians who participated in this movement. A number of violent attacks were also carried out by
8635-502: The Congress has highest political defection rate since 2014. According to the report, a total of 222 electoral candidates had left the Congress to join other parties during elections held between 2014 and 2021, as 177 MPs and MLAs quit the party. The defections resulted in a loss of the party's established governments in Arunachal Pradesh , Madhya Pradesh , Goa , Karnataka , Puducherry , and Manipur . On 28 August 2022,
8792-639: The Congress party returned to power, forming the government under P. V. Narasimha Rao in June 1991, Rajiv Gandhi having been assassinated earlier that year. Rao's five-year term was succeeded by four short-lived governments— Atal Bihari Vajpayee from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for 13 days in 1996, a year each under United Front prime ministers H. D. Deve Gowda and Inder Kumar Gujral , and Vajpayee again for 13 months in 1998–1999. In 1999, Vajpayee's National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won
8949-476: The Congress to support socialist policies by creating the Planning Commission , introducing Five-Year Plans , implementing a mixed economy, and establishing a secular state . After Nehru's death and the short tenure of Lal Bahadur Shastri , Indira Gandhi became the leader of the party. In the 17 general elections since independence, it has won an outright majority on seven occasions and has led
9106-413: The Consolidation of Holdings Act of 1953 and the Uttar Pradesh Zamindari and Land Reforms Act, 1952. The latter led to the abolition of zamindari system in the state.He was also strict in dealing with the 'Patwari strike crisis' in 1953. Land reforms resulted in empowering the tillers and providing the landless with ownership of land. It created a conducive atmosphere for the social and economic upliftment of
9263-406: The Constitution of India, the privy purses were abolished. Due to Sino-Indian War 1962, India faced a huge budgetary deficit resulting in its treasury being almost empty, high inflation, and dwindling forex reserves. The brief War of 1962 exposed weaknesses in the economy and shifted the focus towards the defence industry and the Indian Army . The government found itself short of resources to fund
9420-457: The Emergency officially ended on 21 March 1977. All political prisoners were released and fresh elections for the Lok Sabha were called. In parliamentary elections held in March, the Janata alliance of anti-Indira opposition parties won a landslide victory over Congress, winning 295 seats in the Lok Sabha against Congress' 153. Gandhi lost her seat to her Janata opponent Raj Narain . On 2 January 1978, Indira and her followers seceded and formed
9577-409: The Government High School in 1921 and then he went to Agra College to pursue Bachelor of Science in 1923, Masters of Arts in History (British, European and Indian) in 1925. He then did Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Meerut College in 1927. Singh have knowledge about European and Indian history as well as civil laws of British India as it affected the lives of village peoples. His clansmen hail from
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#17327831678409734-426: The Indian National Congress having won the 1946 Indian provincial elections . Nehru was succeeded by Lal Bahadur Shastri , whose 1 year 7-month term ended in his death in Tashkent , then in the USSR , where he had signed the Tashkent Declaration between India and Pakistan. Indira Gandhi , Nehru's daughter, succeeded Shastri in 1966 to become the country's first female prime minister. Eleven years later, her party
9891-494: The Indian National Congress to support their proposal to set up Home Rule leagues. As a result, they established separate leagues. Tilak launched the Indian Home Rule League in April 1916 at Belgaum , with its headquarters in Poona . His league operated primarily in Maharashtra (excluding Bombay), Karnataka , and the Central Provinces and Berar . In contrast, Besant set up her All-India Home Rule League in September 1916 in Madras , which grew to include over 200 branches across
10048-415: The Indian troops he sent to Sri Lanka in 1987 to help enforce a peace accord there had fought with Tamil Militant guerrillas. The mid-1990s marked a period of political flux in India, with frequent changes in government and coalition dynamics. Rajiv Gandhi was succeeded as party leader by P. V. Narasimha Rao , who was elected prime minister in June 1991. His rise to the prime ministership
10205-435: The Janata Party won the Lok Sabha elections in 1977 , its MPs authorised the elder guiding lights of the movement, Jayaprakash Narayan and Acharya Kripalani to choose candidate for the post of Prime Minister. Morarji Desai was chosen and he named Singh Home Minister. Singh was asked to resign in June 1978 following disagreements with Desai, but was brought back to the cabinet as Deputy Prime Minister in January 1979. In 1979,
10362-408: The Janata government began to unravel over the issue of the dual loyalties of some members to Janata and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)—the Hindu nationalist , paramilitary organisation. Singh, who as the Union home minister during the previous year had ordered the Gandhis' arrests, took advantage of this and started courting Indira Gandhi's Congress (I) party. After a significant exodus from
10519-426: The Janata party to Singh's faction, Morarji Desai resigned as prime minister in July 1979. Singh was appointed prime minister, by President Reddy, after Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi promised Singh that Congress (I) would support his government from outside on certain conditions. Singh was sworn in as Prime Minister on 28 July 1979, with outside support from Indira Gandhi's Congress (I) party and with Yeshwantrao Chavan of
10676-447: The Lok Dal. Singh had six children with wife Gayatri Devi (1905–2002). Gayatri Devi was elected an MLA from Iglas ( Aligarh ) in 1969, from Gokul in 1974, then elected to Lok Sabha from Kairana in 1980, and lost Lok Sabha election from Mathura in 1984. His son Ajit Singh was the president of a political party Rashtriya Lok Dal and a former Union Minister and a many times Member of Parliament. Ajit Singh's son Jayant Chaudhary
10833-524: The Lok Sabha. The INC again returned to power in the 1980 Indian general election securing a 42.7 per cent vote share of all votes, winning 353 seats. INC's vote share kept increasing till 1980 and then to a record high of 48.1 per cent by 1984/85. Rajiv Gandhi on assuming the post of prime minister in October 1984 recommended early elections . The general elections were to be held in January 1985; instead, they were held in December 1984. The Congress won an overwhelming majority, securing 415 seats out of 533,
10990-433: The NDA. The UPA suffered a landslide defeat, which was the party's worst-ever national electoral performance with its vote share dipping below 20 per cent for the first time. Sonia Gandhi retired as party president in December 2017, having served for a record nineteen years. She was succeeded by her son Rahul Gandhi , who was elected unopposed in the 2017 INC presidential election. Rahul Gandhi resigned from his post after
11147-420: The Parliament. Singh then advised President Neelam Sanjiva Reddy to dissolve the Lok Sabha. Janata Party leader Jagjivan Ram challenged that advice and sought time to cobble support, but the Lok Sabha was dissolved, and Charan Singh continued as caretaker Prime Minister until January 1980. On 26 September 1979, he formed Lok Dal by merging Janata Party (Secular) , Socialist Party and Orissa Janata Party. He
11304-498: The Third Plan (1961–1966). Subhadra Joshi a senior party member, proposed a non-official resolution asking for the nationalisation of private banks stating that nationalisation would help in mobilising resources for development. In July 1969, Indira Gandhi through the ordinance nationalised fourteen major private banks. After being re-elected in 1971 on a campaign that endorsed nationalisation, Indira Gandhi went on to nationalise
11461-769: The Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act of 1950, which aimed to redistribute land from the zamindars to the tillers, and the Consolidation of Holdings Act of 1953, which sought to prevent the fragmentation of agricultural land. Singh was the chief architect of land reforms in Uttar Pradesh, where he played a pivotal role in the formulation and finalisation of the Debt Redemption Bill 1939. This legislation brought significant relief to rural debtors, easing
11618-515: The annual session of the Congress held at Lucknow under the presidency of Ambica Charan Mazumdar , it was decided that the extremists led by Tilak would be admitted to the Congress. Inspired by the Irish Home Rule movement , which sought greater autonomy from Britain, Tilak and Besant were influenced by the concept of self-government (Home Rule) and began calling for similar rights for India. However, Tilak and Besant were unable to convince
11775-528: The burden of debts that had long plagued the agricultural community. As Chief Minister of U.P., Singh was instrumental in enacting the Land Holding Act of 1960. This act aimed at lowering the ceiling on land holdings to make it uniform throughout the state, thereby promoting fairer land distribution and addressing the disparities in land ownership. Singh’s birthday, 23 December, was declared as Kisan Diwas or National Farmers’ Day in 2001. This day
11932-607: The cabinet and removal of some of the men from the cabinet. As a result of failure of negotiations, Charan Singh with his 16 MLAs defected from Congress . Samyukta Vidhayak Dal was coalition formed with the help of non-Congress parties like Bharatiya Jana Sangh , Samyukta Socialist Party , Communist Party of India , Swatantra Party , Praja Socialist Party , Republican Party of India , Communist Party of India (Marxist) . Within months of his government formation disputes started to arise in SVD coalition. Samyukta Socialist Party , one of
12089-538: The coal, steel, copper, refining, cotton textiles and insurance industries. The main reason was to protect employment and the interest of the organised labour. On 12 June 1975, the High Court of Allahabad declared Indira Gandhi's election to the Lok Sabha , the lower house of India's parliament, void on the grounds of electoral malpractice. However, Gandhi rejected calls to resign and announced plans to appeal to
12246-770: The constituent of this coalition, demanded to completely abolish the land revenue or at least abolish on uneconomic lands but Charan Singh refused to accept this demand as he was worried about the revenue generation and resources. Praja Socialist Party , another constituent in this coalition, demanded for the release of government employees held in preventive detention for their strikes but this demand also Singh refused to accept. The disputes between Charan Singh and Samyukta Socialist Party became public when SSP decided to launch an agitation of Angrezi Hatao (get rid to English) and during this movement two of its ministers courted arrest. SSP withdrew from coalition on 5 January 1968. On 17 February 1968, Charan Singh submitted his resignation to
12403-426: The council; and allocation of posts to members within the government. This council, which is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha as per Article 75(3) , assists the president regarding the operations under the latter's powers; however, by the virtue of Article 74 of the Constitution , such ' aid and advice ' tendered by the council is binding . Since 1947, India has had 14 prime ministers. Jawaharlal Nehru
12560-448: The country, and growing discontent over a series of corruption allegations involving government officials, including the 2G spectrum case and the Indian coal allocation scam , as well as the ineptness towards national security, particularly the insensitivity in the aftermath of the 2011 Mumbai bombings . The Congress won only 44 seats in the Lok Sabha , compared to the 336 of the BJP and
12717-616: The country. Prominent leaders who joined or supported the Home Rule movement included Motilal Nehru , Bhulabhai Desai , Jawaharlal Nehru , Chittaranjan Das , Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi , Saifuddin Kitchlew , Madan Mohan Malviya , Mohammad Ali Jinnah , Tej Bahadur Sapru , and Lala Lajpat Rai . In 1915, Mahatma Gandhi returned from South Africa and joined Congress. His efforts in South Africa were well known not only among
12874-845: The country. In 1876, they founded the New English School in Pune . However, Tilak soon realized that education alone was not sufficient; the people also needed to be aware of the country's condition. To achieve this, he started two weekly publications in 1881: the Maratha in English and Kesari in Marathi. The ideological differences between the extremists and moderates led to a deep divide. During its session held in Surat in December 1907,
13031-549: The decision of Indira Gandhi to eliminate the Privy Purse , Kamalapati Tripathi announced the withdrawal of the support of Congress (R) for the Singh's government. Charan Singh demanded the resignation of 14 Congress (R) minister but they refused to resign. On 27 September 1970, governor Bezawada Gopala Reddy accepted the resignation of ministers but also asked Charan Singh to resign. On 1 October 1970, President's rule
13188-546: The dismissals were validated by Supreme Court. On 3 October 1977, Charan Singh got Indira Gandhi arrested from her 12 Willingdon Crescent residence. The charges against her were that during 1977 election , she misused her position to get jeeps for election campaigns and another charge was related to contract between the ONGC and the French oil company CFP. But the magistrate before whom she appeared, released her stating that there
13345-459: The economic reform policies begun by Rao's government. He is often called the "Father of Indian economic reforms". Rao was also referred to as Chanakya for his ability to push tough economic and political legislation through the parliament while heading a minority government. By 1996, party found itself in a complex political landscape. It faced internal challenges, including factionalism and leadership struggles, allegations of corruption, and
13502-507: The educated but also among the masses. During 1917 and 1918, Mahatma Gandhi was involved in three struggles– known as Champaran Satyagraha , Ahmedabad Mill Strike and Kheda Satyagraha . After World War I , the party came to be associated with Gandhi, who remained its unofficial spiritual leader and icon. He formed an alliance with the Khilafat Movement in 1920 as part of his opposition to British rule in India, and fought for
13659-675: The establishment of Kisan Ghat in 1987 as this memorial in New Delhi serves as a serene place where people pay their respects to the man who was often referred to as the ‘ Champion of Farmers .’ Several monuments and institutions have been named after Singh to honour his legacy which includes the Chaudhary Charan Singh University in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, and the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport , which
13816-575: The exploitation of tillers of the land by landlords. Between 1952 and 1968, he was one of "three principal leaders in Congress state politics." He became particularly notable in Uttar Pradesh from the 1950s for drafting and ensuring the passage of what were then the most revolutionary land reform laws in any state in India under the tutelage of the then Chief Minister Govind Ballabh Pant ; first as Parliamentary Secretary and then as Revenue Minister responsible for Land Reforms. He became visible on
13973-499: The face of opposition by the Congress. After Indian independence in 1947, the Indian National Congress became the dominant political party in the country. In 1952, in the first general election held after Independence, the party swept to power in the national parliament and most state legislatures. It held power nationally until 1977 when it was defeated by the Janata coalition. It returned to power in 1980 and ruled until 1989 when it
14130-553: The farmers. During the drought in 1966-1967, Singh offered the agriculturists a much higher procurement price than the prevailing market rates. The infrastructure he laid down led to the Minimum Support Price mechanism. Charan Singh left the Congress party in 1967, and formed his own political party, Bharatiya Kranti Dal . With the help and support of Raj Narain and Ram Manohar Lohia , he became Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1967, and later in 1970. In 1975, he
14287-523: The first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru . Colour key (for political coalitions/parties): Fraction of time of holding PMO by party (as of August 2024) Indian National Congress (4030 MLAs and 5 vacant) (390 MLCs and 36 vacant) The Indian National Congress ( INC ), colloquially the Congress Party or simply the Congress , is a political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it
14444-487: The first non-Congress chief minister of UP. This was a period when non-Congress governments were a strong force in India from 1967 to 1971. As leader of the Bharatiya Lok Dal , a major constituent of the Janata coalition , he was disappointed in his ambition to become Prime Minister in 1977 by Jayaprakash Narayan's choice of Morarji Desai . During 1977 Lok Sabha Elections , the fragmented opposition united
14601-502: The first prime minister since Indira Gandhi in 1971 to be re-elected after completing a full five-year term. However, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi in the 2014 general election , the Congress suffered a heavy defeat, winning only 44 seats of the 543-member Lok Sabha (the lower house of the Parliament of India ). In the 2019 general election , the party failed to make any substantial gains and won 52 seats, failing to form
14758-588: The framework of the British Empire. The moderates preferred to avoid direct conflict with the Britishers, aiming instead to reform their governance to better serve the country's interests. They aimed to collaborate with British authorities and use constitutional means, such as petitions, resolutions, and dialogue, to address the grievances of Indians. Over time, as they recognized the impact of British rule, many moderate leaders shifted their stance and started advocating for Swaraj or self-government for India within
14915-465: The general election, the first non-Congress alliance to do so, and he served a full five-year term as prime minister. The Congress, and its United Progressive Alliance won the general elections in 2004 and 2009, Manmohan Singh serving as prime minister between 2004 and 2014. The BJP won the 2014 Indian general election , and its parliamentary leader Narendra Modi formed the first non-Congress single party majority government. The BJP goes on to win
15072-439: The governor Bezawada Gopala Reddy and on 25 February 1968, President's rule was imposed on Uttar Pradesh . After the split in Congress party, Chandra Bhanu Gupta resigned as Chief Minister on 10 February 1970. On 18 February 1970, Charan Singh became Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for the second time with the help of Indira Gandhi 's Congress (R) . After three Rajya Sabha members of Bharatiya Kranti Dal voted against
15229-512: The international stage. The Moderates were able to analyzed the political and economic impacts of British rule in India. Dadabhai Naoroji, Romesh Chunder Dutt , and Dinshaw Wacha and others introduced the Drain Theory to highlight how Britain exploited India's resources. The Drain Theory, proposed by these leaders, challenged the notion that British rule was beneficial for India, shaping
15386-405: The leader of the party or whatever be the sound programme he might follow.’ Indira's conditions included dropping all charges against her and Sanjay. Since Singh refused to drop them, Congress withdrew its support just before Singh was to confirm his majority in the Lok Sabha. He resigned as prime minister on 20 August 1979, after just 23 days in office, becoming the only Prime Minister to never face
15543-518: The lower house of the Indian parliament , the Lok Sabha , which is the main legislative body in the Republic of India . The prime minister and their cabinet are at all times responsible to the Lok Sabha. The prime minister can be a member of the Lok Sabha or of the Rajya Sabha , the upper house of the parliament. The prime minister ranks third in the order of precedence . The prime minister
15700-409: The masses, but they did not intertwine religion with politics. Bal Gangadhar Tilak, tried to mobilise Hindu Indians by appealing to an explicitly Hindu political identity displayed in the annual public Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav and Shiv Jayanti festivals that he inaugurated in western India. Tilak, along with his friend Gopal Ganesh Agarkar , believed that educating the people was the best way to serve
15857-520: The military actions in Afghanistan , and the treatment of tribal people in northwestern India . Additionally, they called for better conditions for Indian workers who had migrated to countries such as South Africa , Malaya , Mauritius , the West Indies , and British Guyana . Congress was transformed into a mass movement by Surendranath Banerjee during the partition of Bengal in 1905 , and
16014-676: The national stage from 1959 when he publicly opposed the unquestioned leader and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's socialistic and collectivist land policies in the Nagpur Congress Session. Though his position in the faction-ridden Uttar Pradesh Congress was weakened, this was a point when the middle peasant communities across castes in North India began looking up to him as their spokesperson and later as their unquestioned leader. Singh stood for tight government spending, enforced consequences for corrupt officers, and advocated
16171-609: The nationalisation of private banks. In the mid-term 1971 Indian general election , the Gandhi-led Congress ;(R) won a landslide victory on a platform of progressive policies such as the elimination of poverty ( Garibi Hatao ). The policies of the Congress ;(R) under Gandhi before the 1971 elections included proposals to abolish the Privy Purse to former rulers of the Princely states , and
16328-682: The nationalists against the British government. The movement played a role in weakening the control over the South Asian region by the British regime and ultimately paved the way for Indian independence. In 1945, when World War 2 almost came to an end, the Labour Party of the United Kingdom won elections with a promise to provide independence to India. The jailed political prisoners of the Quit India movement were released in
16485-514: The nationalists. In 1889, a British branch of the Indian National Congress was set up in London . Dadabhai Naoroji , a member of the sister Indian National Association , was elected president of the Congress in 1886. He was the first Indian Member of Parliament in the British House of Commons (1892–1895) and spent a large part of his life and resources to campaigning for India’s cause on
16642-488: The office as Minister of Home Affairs on 24 March 1977. As a Home Minister, Charan Singh took the decision to dissolve all the state assemblies which were under Congress rule. He argued that these assemblies no longer represent the will of the electorate of their respective states. Charan Singh wrote the letter to nine Chief Ministers to advise their governors to dissolve their state assemblies. Chief Minister of these states went to Supreme Court against this dissolution but
16799-580: The parliament. His administration took measures to reform the government bureaucracy and liberalise the country's economy. Rajiv Gandhi's attempts to discourage separatist movements in Punjab and Kashmir backfired. After his government became embroiled in several financial scandals, his leadership became increasingly ineffectual. Gandhi was regarded as a non-abrasive person who consulted other party members and refrained from hasty decisions. The Bofors scandal damaged his reputation as an honest politician, but he
16956-449: The party for indiscipline. Subsequently, Gandhi launched her own faction of the INC which came to be known as Congress (R). The original party then came to be known as Indian National Congress (O) . Its principal leaders were Kamraj, Morarji Desai, Nijalingappa and S. K. Patil who stood for a more right-wing agenda. The split occurred when a united opposition under the banner of Samyukt Vidhayak Dal , won control over several states in
17113-571: The party into the 2024 Indian general election , where the party made significant gains in Uttar Pradesh and other states, securing 99 seats — enough to elect Rahul Gandhi as leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. The election was the best result for the party since 2009. The party was the principal opposition party within the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), which
17270-578: The party occurred in 1979, leading to the creation of the Congress (I), which was recognized as the Congress by the Election Commission in 1981. Under Rajiv Gandhi 's leadership, the party won a massive victory in the 1984 general elections , nevertheless losing the election held in 1989 to the National Front . The Congress then returned to power under P. V. Narasimha Rao , who moved the party towards an economically liberal agenda ,
17427-403: The party suffered a major split, with a faction led by Indira Gandhi leaving to form the Congress (R) , with the remainder becoming the Congress (O) . The Congress (R) became the dominant faction, winning the 1971 general election by a huge margin. From 1975 to 1977, Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency in India, resulting in widespread oppression and abuses of power. Another split in
17584-580: The party's 1998 Pachmarhi resolution of ekla chalo (go it alone) policy, and formed alliances with other like-minded parties. In the intervening years, the party was successful at various legislative assembly elections; at one point, Congress ruled 15 states. For the 2004 general election , Congress forged alliances with regional parties including the NCP and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam . The party's campaign emphasised social inclusion and
17741-475: The party's first non- Brahmin leader. During the tenure of both Rao and Kesri, the two leaders conducted internal elections to the Congress working committees and their own posts as party presidents. The 1998 general elections saw Congress win 141 seats in the Lok Sabha, its lowest tally until then. To boost its popularity and improve its performance in the forthcoming election, Congress leaders urged Sonia Gandhi , Rajiv Gandhi's widow, to assume leadership of
17898-517: The party, having held office for over twenty years from 1998 to 2017 and again from 2019 to 2022 (as interim). Mallikarjun Kharge is the current party President . The district party is the smallest functional unit of Congress. There is also a Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), present at the state level in every state. Together, the delegates from the districts and PCCs form the All India Congress Committee (AICC). The party
18055-498: The party. She had previously declined offers to become actively involved in party affairs and had stayed away from politics. After her election as party leader, a section of the party that objected to the choice because of her Italian ethnicity broke away and formed the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Sharad Pawar . Sonia Gandhi struggled to revive the party in her early years as its president; she
18212-477: The political left. On 12 July 1969, Congress Parliamentary Board nominated Neelam Sanjiva Reddy as Congress's candidate for the post of President of India by a vote of four to two. K. Kamaraj , Morarji Desai and S. K. Patil voted for Reddy. Indira Gandhi and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed voted for V. V. Giri and Congress President S. Nijalingappa , Home Minister Yashwantrao Chavan and Agriculture Minister Jagjivan Ram abstained from voting. In mid-1969, she
18369-429: The presidency of Jawaharlal Nehru, Purna Swaraj (complete independence) was declared as the party's goal, declaring 26 January 1930 as Purna Swaraj Diwas (Independence Day). The same year, Srinivas Iyenger was expelled from the party for demanding full independence, not just home rule as demanded by Gandhi. After the passage of the Government of India Act 1935 , provincial elections were held in India in
18526-471: The president of the All India Congress Committee in 1963 during the last year of Nehru's life. Prior to that, he had been the chief minister of Madras state for nine years. Kamaraj had also been a member of "the syndicate", a group of right wing leaders within Congress. In 1963 the Congress lost popularity following the defeat in the Indo-Chinese war of 1962. To revitalise the party, Kamaraj proposed
18683-658: The real Indian National Congress for the 1984 general election . However, the designation I was dropped only in 1996. Gandhi's premiership witnessed increasing turmoil in Punjab , with demands for Sikh autonomy by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his militant followers. In 1983, Bhindranwale with his armed followers headquartered themselves in the Golden Temple in Amritsar and started accumulating weapons. In June 1984, after several futile negotiations, Gandhi ordered
18840-504: The resultant Swadeshi movement . On the other hand, the faction led by extremist or radical leaders, including Bal Gangadhar Tilak , Bipin Chandra Pal , and Lala Lajpat Rai , colloquially, "Lal, Bal, Pal", was more radical in their approach. They believed in direct action and criticized the moderate approach, advocating for more assertive and aggressive means to achieve self-rule ( Swaraj ). They were less willing to compromise with
18997-642: The rights for Indians using civil disobedience or Satyagraha as the tool for agitation. In 1922, after the deaths of policemen at Chauri Chaura , Gandhi suspended the agitation. With the help of the moderate group led by Gokhale, in 1924 Gandhi became president of Congress. The rise of Gandhi's popularity and his satyagraha art of revolution led to support from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel , Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru , Rajendra Prasad , Khan Mohammad Abbas Khan , Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan , Chakravarti Rajgopalachari , Anugrah Narayan Sinha , Jayaprakash Narayan , Jivatram Kripalani , and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad . As
19154-412: The rule of law, equality before the law, and advocating for secularism . However, by 1905, two factions had emerged within the party, leading to different approaches and ideologies regarding the methods to achieve self-rule for India. A division arose between the Moderates, led by Gopal Krishna Gokhale , who believed in a peaceful and constitutional approach to achieve reforms and self-governance within
19311-406: The ruling coalition a further three times, heading the central government for more than 54 years. There have been six prime ministers from the Congress party, the first being Jawaharlal Nehru (1947–1964), and the most recent being Manmohan Singh (2004–2014). Since the 1990s, the Bharatiya Janata Party has emerged as the main rival of the Congress in both national and regional politics. In 1969,
19468-541: The salt laws. He was jailed again for one year in November 1940 for individual Satyagraha movement. In August 1942 he was jailed again by the British under DIR and released in November 1943. Charan Singh was an anti- brahmin leader which was described by Byre as below : He did not hide his antipathy for Brahmins and the parasitic, anti-work culture they embody but nor did he try to cash in on anti-Brahmin feelings or caste cleavages. Charan Singh opposed Jawaharlal Nehru on his Soviet-style economic reforms. Charan Singh
19625-609: The same year. In 1946, the British tried the soldiers of Japanese-sponsored Indian National Army in the INA trials . In response, Congress helped form the INA Defence Committee , which assembled a legal team to defend the case of the soldiers of the Azad Hind government. The team included several famous lawyers, including Bhulabhai Desai , Asaf Ali , and Jawaharlal Nehru. The British Empire eventually backtracked in
19782-410: The social, economic or political systems. Banks should be publicly owned so that they catered to not just large industries and big businesses but also agriculturists, small industries and entrepreneurs. Furthermore, the private banks had been functioning erratically with hundreds of them failing and causing loss to the depositors who were given no guarantee against such loss." —Gandhi's remarks after
19939-536: The subsequent support of the communist front, Congress won a majority and formed a new government. Despite massive support from within the party, Gandhi declined the post of prime minister, choosing to appoint Manmohan Singh instead. She remained as party president and headed the National Advisory Council (NAC). During its first term in office, the UPA government passed several social reform bills. These included an employment guarantee bill,
20096-489: The trust vote that followed. In the Lok Sabha elections held soon after , Congress won 207 seats, the highest tally of any party since 1991. The UPA won 262, enabling it to form a government for the second time. The social welfare policies of the first UPA government, and the perceived divisiveness of the BJP, are broadly credited with the victory. By the 2014 election , the party had lost much of its popular support, mainly due to several years of poor economic conditions in
20253-462: The welfare of the common masses—an ideology that Gandhi herself endorsed for Congress during her presidency—with slogans such as Congress ka haath, aam aadmi ke saath ("Congress hand in hand with the common man"), contrasting with the NDA's " India Shining " campaign. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) won 222 seats in the new parliament, defeating the NDA by a substantial margin. With
20410-456: The winter of 1936–37 in eleven provinces: Madras , Central Provinces , Bihar, Orissa, United Provinces , Bombay Presidency , Assam, NWFP, Bengal, Punjab, and Sindh. The final results of the elections were declared in February 1937. The Indian National Congress gained power in eight of them – the three exceptions being Bengal, Punjab , and Sindh. The All-India Muslim League failed to form
20567-494: The year 1967 in Uttar Pradesh. However, he resigned after just 23 days in office when Indira Gandhi's Congress Party withdrew support to the government. Singh said he resigned because he was not ready to be blackmailed into withdrawing Indira Gandhi's emergency-related court cases. Fresh elections were held six months later. Charan Singh continued to lead the Lok Dal in opposition until his death in 1987. Charan Singh's ancestor
20724-548: Was assassinated by her bodyguards. Her son Rajiv Gandhi was sworn in as India's youngest premier. Members of Nehru–Gandhi family have been prime minister for approximately 38 years. After a general election loss, Rajiv Gandhi's five-year term ended; his former cabinet colleague, Vishwanath Pratap Singh of the Janata Dal , formed the year-long National Front coalition government in 1989. A seven-month interlude under prime minister Chandra Shekhar followed, after which
20881-606: Was India's first prime minister, serving as prime minister of the Dominion of India from 15 August 1947 until 26 January 1950, and thereafter of the Republic of India until his death in May 1964. (India conducted its first post-independence general elections in 1952). Earlier, Nehru had served as prime minister of the Interim Government of India during the British Raj from 2 September 1946 until 14 August 1947, his party,
21038-592: Was a prominent leader of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 , Raja Nahar Singh of Ballabhgarh (in present-day Haryana). Nahar Singh was sent to the gallows in Chandni Chowk , Delhi . In order to escape the oppression from the British Government following their defeat, the Maharaja's followers, including Charan Singh's grandfather moved eastward to district Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh. He received
21195-490: Was active from 1931 in the Ghaziabad District Arya Samaj as well as the Meerut district Indian National Congress for which he was jailed twice by the British. Before independence, as a member of Legislative Assembly of the United Provinces elected in 1937, he took a deep interest in the laws that were detrimental to the village economy and he slowly built his ideological and practical stand against
21352-670: Was an assembly for politically minded individuals interested in various reforms, but it did not express desires for independence from the British Empire. Hume organized the first meeting in Bombay with the approval of the Viceroy Lord Dufferin . Umesh Chandra Banerjee was the first president of Congress; the first session was attended by 72 delegates, representing each province of India. Notable representatives included Scottish ICS officer William Wedderburn , Dadabhai Naoroji , Badruddin Tyabji and Pherozeshah Mehta of
21509-683: Was an umbrella organisation, sheltering radical socialists, traditionalists, and Hindu and Muslim conservatives . Mahatma Gandhi expelled all the socialist groupings, including the Congress Socialist Party , the Krishak Praja Party , and the Swaraj Party , along with Subhas Chandra Bose , in 1939. After the failure of the Cripps Mission launched by the British government to gain Indian support for
21666-483: Was declared dead at 2:35 a.m. (IST) the following morning after a "cardiovascular collapse". Singh, often hailed as the ‘ Champion of Farmers ,’ left behind a rich legacy that continues to inspire and shape the agricultural landscape of India. His contributions to the welfare of the farmers and the rural community were profound and multifaceted. Singh’s journey as a stalwart for farmers’ rights began with his instrumental role in piloting pro-farmer legislation such as
21823-441: Was due to be interviewed by British actor Peter Ustinov , who was filming a documentary for Irish television. Her assassination prompted the 1984 anti-Sikh riots , during which 3,000–17,000 people were killed. In 1984, Indira Gandhi's son Rajiv Gandhi became nominal head of Congress, and went on to become prime minister upon her assassination. In December, he led Congress to a landslide victory, where it secured 401 seats in
21980-603: Was during partition in 1947 while he was visiting the North-West Frontier Province in a car. The second was by a knife-wielding rickshaw-puller in Maharashtra in 1955. A third attempt happened in Bombay in 1956. The fourth was a failed bombing attempt on railway tracks in Maharashtra in 1961. Despite threats to his life, Nehru despised having excess security personnel around him and did not like his movements to disrupt traffic. K. Kamaraj became
22137-649: Was elected president of Lok Dal and Raj Narain was elected as its working president. In August 1982, a major split occurred in Lok Dal , with one faction of Charan Singh and another consisted of Karpoori Thakur , Madhu Limaye , Biju Patnaik , Devi Lal , George Fernandes and Kumbha Ram Arya . On 21 October 1984, Charan Singh founded a new party Dalit Mazdoor Kisan Party , by merging Lok Dal , Democratic Socialist Party of Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna , Rashtriya Congress of Ratubhai Adani and some leaders of Janata Party like Devi Lal . Later it changed its name back to
22294-472: Was elected to 15th Lok Sabha from Mathura, which he lost to Hema Malini in the election of 2014. Singh suffered a stroke on 29 November 1985. He could not completely recover from the condition despite being treated at a hospital in the US. At 11:35 p.m. ( IST ) on 28 May 1987 doctors were called for to his residence in New Delhi , after his respiration was found "unsteady". Efforts to revive him failed and
22451-459: Was formed in 2023. In the first parliamentary elections held in 1952, the INC won 364 seats, which was 76 per cent of the 479 contested seats. The vote share of the INC was 45 per cent of all votes cast. Till the 1971 general elections , the party's voting percentage remain intact at 40 per cent. However, the 1977 general elections resulted in a heavy defeat for the INC. Many notable INC party leader lost their seats, winning only 154 seats in
22608-509: Was imposed on Uttar Pradesh by V. V. Giri from Kiev , who was on tour there. Just two weeks later with the recalling of the Uttar Pradesh assembly, Tribhuvan Narain Singh was elected the leader of the house and became Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh with the support of Congress (O) , Bharatiya Jana Sangh , Swatantra Party and Samyukta Socialist Party . Charan Singh became Cabinet minister in Morarji Desai government and took
22765-410: Was instrumental in achieving this result. The differences among the top leadership of the Congress regarding the future of the party during resulted in the formation of several breakaway parties such as Orissa Jana Congress , Bangla Congress , Utkal Congress , and, Bharatiya Kranti Dal . In 1967, following a poor performance in the 1967 Indian general election , Indira Gandhi started moving toward
22922-465: Was intended to safeguard the interests of the farmers against the rapacity of traders. The Bill was adopted by most of the States in India, Punjab being the first state to do so in 1940. Charan Singh followed Mahatma Gandhi in non-violent struggle for independence from the British Government, and was imprisoned several times. In 1930, he was sent to jail for 12 years by the British for contravention of
23079-429: Was involved in a dispute with senior party leaders on several issues. Notably – Her support for the independent candidate, V. V. Giri , rather than the official Congress party candidate, Neelam Sanjiva Reddy , for the vacant post of the president of India and Gandhi's abrupt nationalisation of the 14 biggest banks in India. In November 1969, the Congress party president, S. Nijalingappa , expelled Indira Gandhi from
23236-437: Was jailed again, but this time by then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi , daughter of his former rival Nehru. She had declared the state of emergency and jailed all her political opponents. In the 1977 general elections , the Indian populace voted her out, and the opposition party, of which Chaudhary Charan Singh was a senior leader came into power. He served as Deputy Prime Minister , Home Minister and Finance minister in
23393-549: Was no evidence to back up the arrest. By botching up the arrest, Singh prepared his resignation letter but Morarji Desai did not accept it. On 1 July 1978, Charan Singh resigned from the cabinet of Morarji Desai because of growing differences between them over trial of Indira Gandhi . In December 1978, Singh wanted to undo Janata Party and wanted coalition government in place of Janata Party government. On 24 January 1979, Singh returned into cabinet and held two portfolios of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance . When
23550-425: Was of the opinion that cooperative farms would not succeed in India. Being a son of a farmer, Charan Singh opined that the right of ownership was important to the farmer in remaining a cultivator. He wanted to preserve and stabilise a system of peasant proprietorship. Charan Singh's political career suffered due to his open criticism of Nehru's economic policy. Singh is known for piloting pro-farmer legislation such as
23707-507: Was once again defeated. The party formed the government in 1991 at the head of a coalition, as well as in 2004 and 2009 when it led the United Progressive Alliance. During this period the Congress remained centre-left in its social policies while steadily shifting from a socialist to a neoliberal economic outlook. The Party's rivals at state level have been national parties including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),
23864-603: Was politically significant because he was the first person from South India to hold the office, marking a shift from the traditionally northern-dominated leadership in Indian politics. After the election, he formed a minority government. Rao himself did not contest elections in 1991, but after he was sworn in as prime minister, he won in a by-election from Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh. His administration oversaw major economic change and experienced several domestic incidents that affected India's national security. Rao, who held
24021-602: Was posthumously cleared of bribery allegations in 2004. On 21 May 1991, Gandhi was killed by a bomb concealed in a basket of flowers carried by a woman associated with the Tamil Tigers . He was campaigning in Tamil Nadu for upcoming parliamentary elections . In 1998, an Indian court convicted 26 people in the conspiracy to assassinate Gandhi. The conspirators, who consisted of Tamil militants from Sri Lanka and their Indian allies, had sought revenge against Gandhi because
24178-557: Was renamed in his honour. On December 23, 2023, a 51-foot statue of Singh was unveiled by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Bilari, Moradabad district coinciding Singh’s birth anniversary. On 30 March 2024, Singh was posthumously honoured with the Bharat Ratna , India’s highest civilian award by President Droupadi Murmu , for his exceptional service and contributions to the agricultural sector, particularly in Uttar Pradesh. Singh’s multifaceted personality encompassed roles as
24335-535: Was retained as Finance Minister of India , as was Defence Minister Yashwantrao Chavan . Shastri appointed Swaran Singh to succeed him as External Affairs Minister . Shastri appointed Indira Gandhi , Jawaharlal Nehru's daughter and former party president, Minister of Information and Broadcasting . Gulzarilal Nanda continued as the Minister of Home Affairs . As Prime Minister , Shastri continued Nehru's policy of non-alignment , but built closer relations with
24492-423: Was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Empire in Asia and Africa. From the late 19th century, and especially after 1920, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi , the Congress became the principal leader of the Indian independence movement . The Congress led India to independence from the United Kingdom , and significantly influenced other anti-colonial nationalist movements in
24649-410: Was under continuous scrutiny for her foreign birth and lack of political acumen. In the snap elections called by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in 1999 , Congress' tally further plummeted to just 114 seats. Although the leadership structure was unaltered as the party campaigned strongly in the assembly elections that followed, Gandhi began to make such strategic changes as abandoning
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