The correct answer is Option 2 - 2
1) Akali party
2) Congress party
3) Punjab Samajwadi party
4) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
The Congress party received more support from the Dalit segment, whether Hindu or Sikh, compared to the Akali party in Punjab after its reorganisation in 1966.
After the reorganization, the Akalis came to power in 1967 and then in 1977. On both occasions, it was a coalition government. The Akalis discovered that despite the redrawing of the boundaries, their political position remained precarious. Firstly, their government was dismissed by the Centre mid-way through its term. Secondly, they did not enjoy strong support among the Hindus. Thirdly, the Sikh community, like all other religious communities, was internally differentiated on caste and class lines. The Congress got more support among the Dalits, whether Hindu or Sikh, than the Akalis. It was in this context that during the 1970s a section of Akalis began to demand political autonomy for the region. |
