Political Parties, 1947–1965: The Opposition

Learning outcomes:

1. Understand the challenges faced by opposition parties in post-independence India.
2. Analyze the ideological divides and strategic decisions made by key political parties.
3. Recognize the role of leadership in shaping party dynamics and electoral outcomes.

The Socialist Party

The Socialist Party emerged with great promise after independence, especially under leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan, who rivaled Jawaharlal Nehru in mass appeal. Its leadership also boasted notable figures such as Acharya Narendra Dev, Achyut Patwardhan, Asoka Mehta, Dr. Rammanohar Lohia, and S.M. Joshi. Despite its potential, the party faced persistent problems, particularly regarding its relationship with Congress.

1. The Socialist Party had been part of Congress since its formation in 1934 but maintained its separate constitution, discipline, and ideology.
2. It boycotted the negotiations with the Cabinet Mission, refused to participate in the Constituent Assembly, and rejected the Mountbatten Plan for independence and Partition.
3. In early 1948, Congress imposed a rule that its members could not belong to other parties with separate constitutions, leading the Socialists to leave Congress in March 1948.
4. This decision to leave Congress was seen as a mistake, as Congress still allowed diverse views and was not imposing ideological uniformity, but only organizational uniformity.
5. The Socialists underestimated Congress’s role in nation-building, which still required social and political foundations for a socialist India.
6. Nehru’s commitment to a socialistic pattern of society further complicated the Socialists’ decision to leave, as Nehru recognized that Congress was still the most effective vehicle for social change.
7. The Socialist Party’s departure weakened the left within Congress and hemmed Nehru in by conservative forces.
8. The 1951–52 general elections were a near disaster for the party, with all its national leaders defeated and only 12 seats won in the Lok Sabha.
9. A major blow to the Socialists came with the formation of the Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party (KMPP) by J.B. Kripalani in June 1951, which also performed poorly in the elections.
10. In September 1952, the Socialist Party merged with the KMPP to form the Praja Socialist Party (PSP), but the PSP struggled to maintain unity and faced repeated ideological and factional quarrels.

Important Note:

The departure of the Socialists from Congress not only weakened their own position but also strengthened conservative forces within Congress, leading to incalculable harm to the left in Indian politics.

The Communist Party

The Communist Party of India (CPI) was another key opposition party. It had been part of Congress since 1936 but left in 1945 due to its unwillingness to accept Congress discipline. After independence, the CPI experienced factionalism and internal crises, culminating in a split in 1964.

1. The CPI initially recognized India’s independence but soon declared it fake and called for an armed uprising.
2. Under B.T. Ranadive, the party continued the peasant struggle in Telangana, directing it against the Indian government, leading to significant losses.
3. A failed national railway strike in March 1949 further isolated the party, which was banned in several states.
4. Ajoy Ghosh became general secretary in 1951, leading to a new tactical line that involved participating in general elections and withdrawing the armed struggle in Telangana.
5. The CPI performed well in the 1952 general elections, winning 23 seats in the Lok Sabha and emerging as the largest opposition party.
6. The party’s internal differences resurfaced after the elections, particularly regarding the nature of the Indian state, class alliances, and its stance towards Congress.
7. Major changes in the party’s position occurred between 1953 and 1961, with the CPI gradually accepting India’s independence and adopting a policy of struggle and unity towards Congress.
8. However, by the 1960s, internal differences, including those regarding the India-China war of 1962 and the Soviet–Chinese ideological split, led to the formal split of the party in 1964.
9. The split resulted in the formation of the Communist Party (Marxist) (CPM), which believed that Congress would have to be destroyed to establish a people’s democratic state.
10. The CPI, on the other hand, believed in peaceful and parliamentary means to achieve socialism.

The Bharatiya Jan Sangh

The Bharatiya Jan Sangh, founded in 1951 by Syama Prasad Mukherjee, was fundamentally a communal party structured around Hindu nationalism.

1. The Jan Sangh was closely controlled by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which provided its leadership and organizational strength.
2. Its ideology centered on the belief that India was a Hindu nation, with Muslims seen as alien elements who must either assimilate or remain subordinated.
3. The party promoted the idea of Bharatiya culture, which was a euphemism for Hindu culture, and aimed to unite the country under a single culture.
4. The Jan Sangh opposed Congress’s policies, accusing it of Muslim appeasement and advocating for a more aggressive stance against Pakistan.
5. The party’s electoral performance remained marginal, winning only a few seats in the 1952 and 1957 general elections.

The Swatantra Party

The Swatantra Party was India’s first major secular conservative party, founded in August 1959.

1. It opposed the leftward shift of Congress and supported private enterprise, opposing nationalization and state control over the economy.
2. The party’s leadership included figures like C. Rajagopalachari, Minoo Masani, and N.G. Ranga, who were prominent conservatives.
3. Swatantra’s social base was narrow, consisting mainly of industrialists, ex-princes, landlords, and rich peasants who opposed further land reforms.
4. It was committed to secularism and refused to merge with communal parties like the Jan Sangh, though it entered into seat-sharing arrangements with them.
5. Swatantra performed reasonably well in the 1962 general elections, winning 18 seats in the Lok Sabha.
6. The party’s decline began after the death of Rajagopalachari in 1967, and by 1971, it secured only 8 seats in the Lok Sabha.

Communal and Regional Parties

Numerous communal and regional parties also played a role in the political landscape between 1947 and 1965.

1. The Hindu Mahasabha faded after the 1952 elections, losing its support base to the Jan Sangh.
2. The Muslim League, after its association with the demand for Pakistan, lay dormant but revived in parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
3. The Akali Dal was another major communal party, primarily based in Punjab.
4. Several regional parties also emerged, such as the DMK in Tamil Nadu, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, and the Ganatantra Parishad in Orissa.

Important Note:

The failure of opposition parties to consolidate effectively against Congress allowed communal and regional parties to occupy significant political space, particularly at the state level.

The Socialist Party’s Challenges

The Socialist Party’s inability to distinguish itself from Congress proved to be a key factor in its decline.

1. After the Avadi Resolution in 1955, Congress committed itself to a socialistic pattern of society, blurring the lines between the Socialists and Congress.
2. This left the Socialists with little room to differentiate themselves ideologically, and they struggled to build a distinct base.
3. Factionalism, defections, and leadership instability plagued the Socialist Party, with leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan withdrawing from politics, and others like Lohia forming separate factions.
4. The party’s inability to maintain cohesion and its failure to offer a clear alternative to Congress contributed to its electoral failures in subsequent elections.

MCQ:

Which of the following parties was founded on a platform of secular conservatism in India?

1. Bharatiya Jan

Sangh

2. Communist Party of India
3. Swatantra Party
4. Praja Socialist Party

Answer: 3. Swatantra Party