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Opposition parties were in the forefront of organising public protests and pressurising the government. Parties opposed to the Congress realised that the division of their votes kept the Congress in power. Thus parties that were entirely different and disparate in their programmes and ideology got together to form anti-Congress fronts in some states and entered into electoral adjustments of sharing seats in others. They felt that the inexperience of Indira Gandhi and the internal factionalism within the Congress provided them an opportunity to topple the Congress. The socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia gave this strategy the name of ‘non-Congressism’. He also produced a theoretical argument in its defence: Congress rule was undemocratic and opposed to the interests of ordinary poor people; therefore, the coming together of the non-Congress parties was necessary for reclaiming democracy for the people.

What was a common factor among political stalwarts like S.K. Patil, Atulya Ghosh, and K. B. Sahay in the 1967 General Assembly elections?

They all faced defeat in their constituencies

The correct answer is Option 4 - They all faced defeat in their constituencies

Against the backdrop of growing public discontent and the deepening division among political factions, the fourth general elections for the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies took place in February 1967. For the first time, the Congress Party faced the electorate without Nehru's presence.

The election results sent shockwaves through the Congress Party, both nationally and at the state levels. Numerous contemporary political analysts labeled the outcome as a 'political earthquake.' Although the Congress Party did secure a majority in the Lok Sabha, it obtained its lowest count of seats and share of votes since 1952. Significantly, half of the ministers within Indira Gandhi's cabinet experienced defeat. Several esteemed political figures, such as Kamaraj in Tamil Nadu, S.K. Patil in Maharashtra, Atulya Ghosh in West Bengal, and K. B. Sahay in Bihar, suffered losses in their respective constituencies.