What significant event occurred in the elections held in 1989?
1) The Congress party secured a massive victory.
2) The Congress party was reduced to only 197 seats in the Lok Sabha.
3) The Congress party formed a coalition government.
4) The Congress party retained its 415 seats from the previous election.

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.