In the given question, a statement of Assertion is followed by a statement of Reason. Mark the correct answer.

Assertion: The first decade of Indian politics has been described as the ‘Congress system’.
Reason: The system of factions functioned as a balancing mechanism within the ruling party. In that sense, in the first decade of electoral competition, Congress acted both as the ruling party as well as the opposition.

Both the Assertion and the Reason are correct and the Reason is the correct explanation of the Assertion.

The system of factions functioned as a balancing mechanism within the ruling party. Political competition, therefore, took place within Congress. In that sense, in the first decade of electoral competition, Congress acted both as the ruling party as well as the opposition. That is why this period of Indian politics has been described as the ‘Congress system’.