Which one among the following was the characteristic of the ‘new Congress’ that was restored by Indira Gandhi?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → It relied entirely on the popularity of the supreme leader.
Option (1) The party no longer occupied a similar position in terms of its popularity as in the past. — Incorrect. It was the other way round: the party occupied a similar position in terms of its popularity as in the past.
Option (2) It relied entirely on the popularity of the supreme leader. — Correct. Indira Gandhi had re-invented the party, and the new Congress depended entirely on her popularity.
Option (3) It emerged with a strong organisational structure — Incorrect. It had a somewhat weak organisational structure.
Option (4) It accommodated all social groups under its fold and accommodated all kinds of opinions and interests. — Incorrect. With few factions, it could not accommodate all kinds of opinions and interests, and it depended more on some social groups: the poor, the women, Dalits, Adivasis and the minorities.
NCERT (2025-26): “Restoration? … But does it mean that the Congress system was restored? What Indira Gandhi had done was not a revival of the old Congress party. In many ways she had re-invented the party. The party occupied a similar position in terms of its popularity as in the past. But it was a different kind of a party. It relied entirely on the popularity of the supreme leader. It had a somewhat weak organisational structure. This Congress party now did not have many factions, thus it could not accommodate all kinds of opinions and interests. While it won elections, it depended more on some social groups: the poor, the women, Dalits, Adivasis and the minorities.…” |