Era of One-party Dominance
Class 12 Political Science · Politics in India Since Independence · Chapter 2
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Summary
This chapter examines the first decade of electoral politics and the dominance of the Congress party. India's leaders chose democracy despite difficult circumstances. The Election Commission of India was set up in 1950 under Sukumar Sen, and the first general elections of 1951-52 — held under universal adult franchise in a poor, largely illiterate country — were a landmark, proving that democracy could work anywhere. The Congress won the first three general elections (1952, 1957, 1962) with about three-fourths of the seats, aided by the first-past-the-post system, its legacy from the national movement, an all-India organisation and Nehru's charismatic leadership. Indian one-party dominance was distinctive because it occurred under genuinely free and fair elections, unlike one-party states elsewhere. The Congress functioned as a broad social and ideological coalition that accommodated diverse groups and managed internal factions, acting as both ruling party and opposition — the 'Congress system'. Yet a variety of vibrant opposition parties existed, including the Socialist Party, the Communist Party of India (which won Kerala in 1957), the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and the Swatantra Party, whose criticism helped keep democracy alive.
Key terms
Universal adult franchise
The right of every adult citizen to vote, adopted by India from its first general election.
Congress system
The period of Congress dominance in which the party acted as both ruling party and, through internal factions, as the opposition.
First-past-the-post
The electoral system in which the candidate with the most votes wins, which boosted the Congress's seat share.
Faction
An organised group within a party holding different beliefs or ambitions, tolerated within the Congress.
Ideological coalition
A party, like the Congress, that accommodated groups of many different ideologies under one platform.
Opposition parties
Parties such as the Socialist Party, CPI, Bharatiya Jana Sangh and Swatantra Party that contested Congress dominance.
Extra questions & answers
Try one from this chapter
India's first Chief Election Commissioner was: