Following the tragic assassination of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi assumed the role of Prime Minister. In the subsequent 1984 Lok Sabha elections held shortly thereafter, he guided the Congress to a substantial triumph. As the 1980s came to a conclusion, India encountered a series of five transformative occurrences that were destined to exert a lasting influence on its political landscape.

What was the Congress party's seat count in the Lok Sabha during the 1989 elections?
1) 415 seats
2) 197 seats
3) 100 seats
4) 500 seats

Choose the correct answer from the given options:

2

The primary turning point during this era (1990s) was the Congress party's defeat in the 1989 elections. After securing a significant 415 seats in the Lok Sabha during the 1984 elections, the party's representation plummeted to a mere 197 in this subsequent election. Although the Congress managed to regain power after the mid-term elections of 1991, the 1989 elections marked the conclusion of what political analysts refer to as the 'Congress system'. While the Congress continued to maintain its prominence and governed the nation more extensively than any other party post-1989, it relinquished the level of centrality it once held in the political landscape.