In 1977 Lok Sabha elections, the Janata Party’s campaign focused on-
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Non-democratic character of the rule.
Option (1) Rehabilitation of Bangladeshi refugees. — Incorrect. The Bangladesh crisis belongs to 1971, when India supported the liberation of Bangladesh. By 1977 the issue before the voters was the Emergency, not refugees.
Option (2) Secessionist movements in the North-East. — Incorrect. Secessionist movements, such as the one in Nagaland, are regional movements studied with regional aspirations. They were not the theme of the Janata campaign, which made the election a referendum on the Emergency.
Option (3) Non-democratic character of the rule. — Correct. The Janata Party made the 1977 election a referendum on the Emergency, and its campaign was focused on the non-democratic character of the rule and on the excesses of that period.
Option (4) Reservation of OBCs in the Parliament. — Incorrect. OBC reservation became a national issue only in 1990, when the National Front government decided to reserve central government jobs, not seats in Parliament, for the OBCs.
NCERT (2025-26): “Lok Sabha Elections, 1977 … Some other Congress leaders also came out and formed a separate party under the leadership of Jagjivan Ram. This party named as Congress for Democracy, later merged with the Janata Party. The Janata Party made this election into a referendum on the Emergency. Its campaign was focused on the non-democratic character of the rule and on the various excesses that took place during this period. In the backdrop of arrests of thousands of persons and the censorship of the Press, the public opinion was against the Congress. Jayaprakash Narayan became the popular symbol of restoration of democracy. The formation of the Janata Party also ensured that non-Congress votes would not be divided.…” |