Who was the Congress President during the split in 1969?

S. Nijalingappa

The correct answer is option (1) - S. Nijalingappa

S. Nijalingappa was the President of Congress during 1968-71. He was one of the 'Syndicate' leaders of Congress. Syndicate was the informal name given to a group of Congress leaders who were in control of the party’s organisation.

CONGRESS SPLIT IN 1969:

The split within the Congress party was definitively affirmed with the defeat of the official Congress candidate. Following this, the Congress President (S. Nijalingappa ) took the step of expelling the Prime Minister from the party, asserting that her faction constituted the genuine Congress. By November 1969, the Congress group aligned with the 'syndicate' acquired the label Congress (Organisation), while the faction led by Indira Gandhi became recognized as the Congress (Requisitionists). These two factions also became colloquially known as the Old Congress and the New Congress. Indira Gandhi framed this division as an ideological contrast, emphasizing the schism between socialists and conservatives, and between those advocating for the underprivileged and those aligning with the affluent.