CHAPTER

11 Era of One Party Dominance

Introduction:
In 1885, Dr. A.O. Hume transformed into a political party in the form of a social and ideological alliance by expressing feelings
of dissatisfaction with different social groups and people of different faiths and ideologies. Even in the pre-independence
days, many organizations and parties existed within the Congress with their structure and institutional structure. Groups
formed within parties are factions. The coalition nature of the Congress party encouraged various factions based on
ideological views or personal aspirations or enmity. Before the first general election of 1952, some powerful and opposition
parties came into existence, which gained only as a symbol of representation to maintain the democratic feature. These
parties kept the ruling party in check with mutual respect between the leaders of the Congress as well as the leaders of the
opposition, preventing resentment and preparing the leaders.
After independence, our leaders became aware of the important role of politics in democracy because they wanted to pursue
politics as a way to solve problems as well as make decisions and advance the public interest.

1. The Challenge is to Build Democracy

The Election Commission of India was established in
January 1950. Sukumar Sen is the first Chief Election
Commissioner. India's absolute size and low literacy rate
were some of the challenges in holding the 1952 general
elections. Despite these challenges, the 1952 election was a
success.

Change in Voting Pattern

In the first general election, it was decided to place a box inside each polling station with the symbol of each candidate. By 2004,
the entire country had switched to electronic voting machines (EVMs).

2. The 1st three general elections

The Congress dominated the first three general elections. It has many famous faces like Jawaharlal Nehru, C Rajagopalachari,
Vallabhbhai Patel. In addition, Jawaharlal Nehru was an attractive and very popular leader. It has worked at the grassroots level
as well as at the top level in Congress. Congress gained popularity by participating in the civil disobedience movement.

The Communist Party of Kerala came to power for the first time in the world in 1957 through democratic elections. It was the
first state to form a non-Congress government after independence.
 3. The dominant nature of Congress
The dominance of the
Congress party is in a state
of democracy. The roots of
the extraordinary success
of the Congress party go
back to the legacy of the
freedom struggle. Congress
has brought together
different groups, whose
interests are often
contradictory. By the time
of independence, the
Congress had transformed into a rainbow-like social alliance that broadly represented India’s diversity in terms of classes and
castes, religions and languages and different interests. This coalition attitude gave extraordinary strength to the Congress.

4. Group Tolerance and Management

Groups are groups within a party that have
different ideologies. Some of these categories are
based on ideological perspectives, but very often
these categories are rooted in personal
ambitions and competition. The coalition nature
of the Congress party tolerated and encouraged
various sections.

DO YOU KNOW?
Electronic Voting Machine (EVM): A voting machine for recording the performance of voters on an electronic device used
by the electoral process.
First Past the Post System: This is a simple majority system in which the candidate with the highest number of votes is
declared elected.
Ideological Oriented Party: It is a party that formulates policies and decisions based on ideological considerations.
Interest-based party: This party protects and promotes specific interests such as caste, community, region, tribe, etc.
Charismatic Leader Oriented Party: This is a party where the leader is in a very strong position and the party is at the
center.

5. The rise of Opposition Parties-

Almost all non-Congress parties have their roots in any opposition party of the 1950s. These opposition parties have provided
constant and frequent ideological criticisms of the policies and practices of the Congress party. This kept the ruling party in
check and often changed the balance of power in Congress.
 6. Socialist Party
The Congress Socialist
Party (CSP) was founded in
1934 by a group of young
leaders who wanted a more
radical and egalitarian
Congress. In 1948,
Congress amended its
constitution to bar its
members from dual party
membership. The Socialists
had to form a separate Socialist Party in 1948. He criticized the Congress for favoring investors and landlords and neglecting
workers and farmers.

7. Communist Party of India (CPI)

In the early 1920s, inspired by
the Bolshevik Revolution in
Russia, communist groups
sprang up in various parts of
India. In 1951, the Communist
Party decided to abandon the
path of violent revolution and
run in the next general
election. A K Gopalan, S A
Dange, E M S Namboodiripad;
Prominent leaders of the CPI
were P C Joshi, Ajay Ghosh and
P Sundaria.

8. Bhartiya Jana Sangh [BJS]

The Bhartiya Jana Sangh was
founded in 1951 with Shyama
Prasad Mukherjee as its
founding president. It
emphasized the idea of one
nation, one culture and one
nation and believed that the
country would become
modern, progressive and
powerful based on Indian
culture and traditions. The
Bhartiya Jana Sangh was founded in 1951 by Shyama Prasad Mukherjee with the ideology of one nation, one culture and one
nation and called for the reunification of India and Pakistan in a united India. The Independent Party was formed in August 1959
following the Congress Nagpur resolution calling for land restrictions. Its main leaders were C. Rajagopalachari, K.M. Munshi,
N.G. Ranga, and Meenu Masani. Its ideology emphasizes a free economy and less government involvement in controlling the
economy and suggests closer ties with the United States.

9. Independent party
The Independent Party was formed in August 1959. The party was led by old Congressmen like C. Rajagopalachari, K M Munshi,
N G Ranga and Meenu Masani. The party criticized the state's strategy for economic development, centralized planning,
nationalization and public sector intervention. Instead, it opted for free private sector expansion.
 SUMMARY
After independence, our leaders became aware of the important role of politics in democracy because they wanted to pursue
politics as a way to solve problems as well as make decisions and advance the public interest. As a result, the Election
Commission of India came into existence in January 1950, with Sukumar Sen becoming the first Chief Election Commissioner
to conduct elections in the country. The Commission is required to formulate electoral rolls with eligible voters and
constituency boundaries to conduct free and fair elections. India's first general election has become a milestone due to its
competitiveness and encouragement. His critics are wrong for not holding elections in proven partnership, fair results and
poverty. The Congress party won a landslide victory in the 1952 elections but was not in power in states like Travancore-
Cochin i.e. Kerala, Madras and Orissa. Recognition in the freedom struggle, popularity of populist leaders, comprehensive
manifesto for every section of society and party consensus-building role led to Congress domination in India.

Questions For Practice

1. Which of the following statements (b) Preferences of voters. (b) Rajagopalachari
given below is not correct? (c) Preferences of senior citizens. (c) B.R. Ambedkar
(a) One-party dominance lies in the (d) Preferences of pressure groups. (d) K.M. Accountant
absence of strong alternative 7. Which of the following is a state 13. Which Indian leader is the first
political parties. where the Congress was not in recipient of Bharat Ratan award?
(b) The dominance of one party is power even after a massive victory (a) Balraj Madhok.
due to weak public opinion. in the first general election? (b) C Rajagopalachari.
(c) One-party dominance is linked (a) Bihar (c) B.R. Ambedkar.
to the colonial past of the (b) Orissa (d) K.M. Munshi
country. (c) Madhya Pradesh
(d) One-party dominance refers to 14. Who was the founder of Bhartiya
(d) Maharashtra Jana Sangh?
the absence of democratic
ideals in a country. 8. The Institutional Revolutionary (a) Mahatma Gandhi
Party exercised power by? (b) Indira Gandhi
2. Name the founding president of (a) Mexico (b) Finland (c) Shyama Prasad Mookerjee
Congress Socialist Party? (c) Cairo (d) None of these (d) Sukumar Sen
(a) Acharya Narendra Dev
(b) K.M. Accountant 9. The Indian leader who was the first 15. An Electronic Voting Machine
(c) Shyama Prasad Mookerjee recipient of the Bharat Ratan (EVM) is used to record?
(d) Sukumar Sen Award? (a) Preferences of politicians.
(a) Balraj Madhok. (b) Preferences of voters.
3. Who was the first Chief Election (b) Rajagopalachari. (c) Preferences of senior citizens.
Commissioner of India? (c) B.R. Ambedkar. (d) Preferences of pressure groups.
(a) Shyama Prasad Mookerjee (d) K.M. Accountant.
(b) Sukumar Sen 16. Which of the following is a state
(c) Rajagopalachari 10. The first general election in 1952 where the Congress was not in
(d) Balraj Madhok. included simultaneous elections to power even after a massive victory
the Lok Sabha and _________? in the first general election?
4. The first general elections in India (a) President of India (a) Bihar
were held in the year? (b) State Assemblies (b) Orissa
(a) 1951 (b) 1952 (c) Rajya Sabha (c) Madhya Pradesh
(c) 1953 (d) 1954 (d) Prime Minister (d) Maharashtra
5. Who was the founder of Bhartiya 11. Which party formed the 17. The Institutional Revolutionary
Jana Sangh? government in Kerala in 1957? Party exercised power by?
(a) Mahatma Gandhi (a) Jan Sangh (a) Mexico (b) Finland
(b) Indira Gandhi (b) CPI (c) Cairo (d) Brazil
(c) Shyama Prasad Mookerjee (c) Congress
(d) Sukumar Sen 18. An Electronic Voting Machine
(d) Samajwadi Party (EVM) is used to record?
6. Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) 12. The Indian leader who is the first (a) Preferences of politicians
are used to record? recipient of Bharat Ratan Award? (b) Voter Preferences
(a) Preferences of politicians. (a) Balraj Madhok (c) Senior Citizen Preferences
 (d) Pressure Group Preferences 27. Who was the first Chief Election 34. Who is the Prime Minister of India
19. Which party formed the Commissioner of India? after the first general election?
government in Kerala in 1957? (a) Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (a) Pt. JL. Nehru
(a) Jan Sangh (b) Sukumar Sen. (b) Sardar Patel
(b) CPI (c) Rajagopalachari (c) Mrs. Indira Gandhi
(c) Congress (d) Balraj Madhok. (d) Mahatma Gandhi.
(d) Samajwadi Party 28. The first general elections in India
35. Which party formed the
20. When was the Samajwadi Party were held during the year?
government of Kerala in 1957?
formed in India? (a) 1951 (b) 1952
(c) 1953 (d) 1954 (a) Jan Sangh
(a) 1948 (b) 1952
(c) 1955 (d) 1960 (b) CPI
29. Who is the founder of Bhartiya Jana (c) Congress
21. Who was the first Indian leader to Sangh? (d) Samajwadi Party
receive the Bharat Ratan award? (a) Mahatma Gandhi
(a) Balraj Madhok. (b) Indira Gandhi 36. When was the Socialist Party
(b) Rajagopalachari. (c) Shyama Prasad Mukherjee founded in India?
(c) B.R. Ambedkar. (d) Sukumar Sen. (a) 1948 (b) 1952
(d) K.M. Accountant. 30. Mention the founding president of (c) 1955 (d) 1960
22. Who was the founder of Bhartiya the Congress Socialist Party? 37. In a democracy, people exercise
Jana Sangh? (a) Acharya Narendra Dev their power?
(a) Mahatma Gandhi (b) K.M. Accountant (a) Political parties.
(b) Indira Gandhi (c) Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (b) Cooperative societies.
(c) Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (d) Sukumar Sen. (c) Elections
(d) Sukumar Sen. 31. Who is the founder of Bhartiya Jana (d) NGOs.
23. An electronic voting machine (EVM) Sangh?
38. In the first three Lok Sabha
is used to record? (a) Mahatma Gandhi
(b) Indira Gandhi elections of 1952, 1957 and 1962,
(a) Priorities of politicians.
(b) Voter preferences. (c) Shyama Prasad Mukherjee under whose leadership the
(c) Preferences of Senior Citizens. (d) Sukumar Sen. Congress party dominated?
(d) Priorities of stress groups. (a) Mahatma Gandhi
32. Below are four statements
(b) Indira Gandhi
24. Which of the following states is not regarding the dominance of one
(c) Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
in power by the Congress even after party. Identify whether each of
its landslide victory in the first them is false.? (d) Jawaharlal Nehru
general election? (a) One party dominates when 39. Who was the first Chief Election
(a) Bihar there are no strong alternative Commissioner of India?
(b) Orissa political parties. (a) Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
(c) Madhya Pradesh (b) Weak public opinion leads to (b) Sukumar Sen.
(d) Maharashtra one-party domination. (c) Rajagopalachari
25. The Institutional Revolutionary (c) One party domination is linked (d) Balraj Madhok.
Party exercised its power by? to the immigration past of the
country. 40. Which of the following states is not
(a) Mexico (b) Finland
(d) Dominance of one party in power by the Congress even after
(c) Cairo (d) Brazil
indicates a lack of democratic its landslide victory in the first
26. An Electronic Voting Machine ideals in the country. general election?
(EVM) is used for recording? (a) Bihar
(a) Priorities of politicians 33. In which year was the first general
election held in India? (b) Orissa
(b) Voter preferences (c) Madhya Pradesh
(c) Senior Citizen Preferences (a) 1947 (b) 1952
(c) 1955 (d) 1960 (d) Maharashtra
(d) Pressure group priorities

Solutions
1. (c) 5. (C) 9. (b) 13. (b) 17 (a) 21. (b) 25. (a) 29. (c) 33. (b) 37 (c)
2. (a) 6. (b) 10. (b) 14. (c) 18. (b) 22. (c) 26. (b) 30. (a) 34. (a) 38. (d)
3. (b) 7. (d) 11. (b) 15. (b) 19. (b) 23. (b) 27 (b) 31. (c) 35. (b) 39. (b)
4. (b) 8 (a) 12. (b) 16. (b) 20. (a) 24. (b) 28. (b) 32. (c) 36. (a) 40. (b)