Question

Describe any two main reasons for the split in the Congress Party in 1969.

Hint:

Name two reasons such as the Syndicate versus Indira Gandhi power struggle and the 1969 Presidential election dispute, and explain each in two lines.

Answer 1

Step 1: Set the background:
After the death of Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1966, Indira Gandhi became Prime Minister with the help of senior leaders called the Syndicate.
The Syndicate was a group of powerful Congress leaders from the states, led by K. Kamaraj.
Tension grew between this group and the Prime Minister, and it ended in the split of 1969.

Step 2: Reason 1: Struggle for power between the Syndicate and Indira Gandhi:
The Syndicate expected Indira Gandhi to follow its advice. She wanted to act on her own and build her own support.
She dropped some Syndicate leaders from key posts and took bold decisions without consulting them.
This clash over who controlled the party and the government led to open conflict.

Step 3: Reason 2: The 1969 Presidential election:
After the death of President Zakir Husain, the Syndicate named N. Sanjiva Reddy as the official Congress candidate.
Indira Gandhi quietly supported V. V. Giri, who stood as an independent candidate.
She also asked members to vote according to their conscience. Giri won, and the party leaders expelled her for breaking discipline.
The Congress then broke into Congress (O) led by the Syndicate and Congress (R) led by Indira Gandhi.

Final Answer:
Two reasons for the 1969 split were (1) the power struggle between the Syndicate and Indira Gandhi and (2) the clash over the official candidate in the 1969 Presidential election.