Which one of the following statements is correct about 1969 Presidential elections?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → PM Indira Gandhi called for a ‘conscience vote’ in the Presidential elections.
Option (1) The ‘Syndicate’ nominated V.V. Giri as the official Congress candidate for Presidential elections. — False. The Syndicate nominated N. Sanjeeva Reddy as the official candidate.
Option (2) N. Sanjeeva Reddy filed his nomination for Presidential elections as an independent candidate. — False. It was V.V. Giri, the then Vice-President, who filed his nomination as an independent candidate, encouraged by Indira Gandhi.
Option (3) The then Congress President S. Barooah issued whip asking all the Congress MPs and MLAs to vote in favour of Sanjeeva Reddy. — False. The whip was issued by the then Congress President S. Nijalingappa.
Option (4) PM Indira Gandhi called for a ‘conscience vote’ in the Presidential elections. — True. After silently supporting V.V. Giri, she openly called for a ‘conscience vote’, which meant that Congress MPs and MLAs should be free to vote the way they want.
NCERT (2025-26): “Presidential election, 1969 … The factional rivalry between the Syndicate and Indira Gandhi came in the open in 1969. Following President Zakir Hussain’s death, the post of President of the India fell vacant that year. Despite Mrs Gandhi’s reservations the ‘syndicate’ managed to nominate her long time opponent and then speaker of the Lok Sabha, N. Sanjeeva Reddy, as the official Congress candidate for the ensuing Presidential elections. Indira Gandhi retaliated by encouraging the then Vice-President, V.V. Giri, to file his nomination as an independent candidate.… Presidential election, 1969 … Congress had seen differences of this kind in the past. But this time both the parties wanted a showdown which took place during the Presidential elections. The then Congress President S. Nijalingappa issued a ‘whip’ asking all the Congress MPs and MLAs to vote in favour of Sanjeeva Reddy, the official candidate of the party. Supporters of Indira Gandhi requisitioned a special meeting of the AICC (that is why this faction came to be known as ‘requisitionists’) but this was refused. After silently supporting V.V. Giri, the Prime Minister openly called for a ‘conscience vote’ which meant that the MPs and MLAs from the Congress should be free to vote the way they want.…” |