UPSC Prelims · General Studies

Modern history

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Post-independence consolidation to 1991

First general elections, Congress dominance and the opposition parties

First general election under Chief Election Commissioner Sukumar Sen, universal adult franchise, Congress wins 364 of 489 seats
One-party dominance, the Congress as coalition and umbrella, Rajni Kothari's Congress system
Socialist Party 1948 (Jayaprakash Narayan, Acharya Narendra Dev, Lohia) after leaving Congress, KMPP 1951, Praja Socialist Party 1952, Lohia's SSP
Bharatiya Jana Sangh 1951 founded by Syama Prasad Mookerjee; Swatantra Party 1959 founded by C. Rajagopalachari with N.G. Ranga and Minoo Masani; Congress for Democracy 1977 of Jagjivan Ram
CPI in elections, E.M.S. Namboodiripad's Kerala ministry 1957 as the first elected communist government, dismissal 1959, CPI(M) split 1964