Question

Analyse any two important political happenings in India before the fifth general elections.

Hint:

Think of the 1967 elections and non-Congress coalitions, then the 1969 Presidential election and the split of the Congress.

Answer 1

Step 1: Background:
The fifth general elections were held in 1971. Between 1967 and 1971 Indian politics saw big changes.
Two important happenings are described below.

Step 2: Defeat of the Congress in the 1967 elections:
In the fourth general elections of 1967, the Congress won with its smallest majority in the Lok Sabha so far. It lost power in several states.
Non-Congress parties joined in coalitions called Samyukta Vidhayak Dal. Frequent defections of legislators, called Aya Ram Gaya Ram politics, made governments unstable. The dominance of Congress was shaken.

Step 3: Split in the Congress in 1969:
After President Zakir Husain died in 1969, the Syndicate named N. Sanjiva Reddy as the official candidate. Indira Gandhi backed V.V. Giri, who won.
The party split into Congress (O) and Congress (R). Indira Gandhi then took steps such as nationalisation of 14 banks in 1969 and moved against privy purses, to win public support before the 1971 elections.

Final Answer:
The 1967 electoral setback with unstable coalitions, and the 1969 split in the Congress, were two key happenings before the 1971 elections.