March to socialism under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi offers an interesting parallel

The story of India's march to socialism between 1969 and 1976 under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi offers an interesting parallel to the last seven years.

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The story of India's march to socialism between 1969 and 1976 under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi offers an interesting parallel (and contrast) to the last seven years. Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, who succeeded Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964, unexpectedly died in January 1966.

The Congress party bosses, known as the Syndicate, chose lightweight Mrs Gandhi over rival Morarji Desai in the hope of continuing to rule the country by proxy.

In the February 1967 elections, the Congress fared poorly, winning just 283 out of 516 seats in the Lok Sabha. Morarji Desai won his seat with substantial following in the new Parliament. This forced the Syndicate and Mrs Gandhi to accept a compromise whereby Desai became deputy prime minister and finance minister.