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The Indian National Congress (INC) has evolved from an elite political forum in 1885 to a major national party that dominated much of India’s 20th‑century politics and now leads the main opposition bloc. Below is a concise milestone timeline of its history, from founding to recent elections.
Origins and early years
- 1885: The INC is founded in Bombay, largely through the efforts of Allan Octavian Hume and a group of Indian leaders, as an all‑India political platform under British rule.
- Late 19th century: The party mainly represents educated Indians, petitions the colonial government for reforms, and holds annual sessions rotating across major cities.
Rise of nationalism
- 1905–1919: INC leads opposition to the partition of Bengal and gradually shifts from moderate constitutional methods to more assertive nationalism, especially after the Swadeshi movement and World War I.
- 1920–1934: Under Mahatma Gandhi, the INC becomes a mass movement through Non‑Cooperation, Civil Disobedience, and the Salt Satyagraha, turning into the principal vehicle of the freedom struggle.
Towards independence
- 1937: INC wins power in several provinces under the Government of India Act 1935, gaining administrative experience within the colonial framework.
- 1942–1947: The party launches the Quit India movement in 1942 and then negotiates transfer of power, with INC leaders heading the interim government of 1946–47.
Dominance after 1947
- 1947–1964: Under Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, the Congress party dominates national politics, shaping India’s parliamentary democracy, non‑aligned foreign policy, and mixed‑economy model.
- 1964–1969: After Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri and then Indira Gandhi lead Congress governments, but factionalism intensifies within the party.
Splits and Indira Gandhi era
- 1969: A major split creates Congress (R) led by Indira Gandhi and Congress (O) of the old guard; the Election Commission later recognizes Indira’s faction as the main Congress.
- 1971–1977: Indira’s Congress wins a sweeping Lok Sabha majority in 1971, imposes the Emergency in 1975, and then suffers a historic defeat in the 1977 general election.
Rajiv Gandhi and liberalization
- 1980–1984: Indira Gandhi returns to power in 1980; her assassination in 1984 brings Rajiv Gandhi to office, whose 1984 victory gives Congress its largest‑ever Lok Sabha majority.
- Late 1980s–1991: Corruption scandals and rising opposition erode Congress dominance, leading to defeat in 1989; Rajiv Gandhi is assassinated in 1991 during the election campaign.
Coalition era and UPA
- 1991–1996: Under P. V. Narasimha Rao, Congress leads a minority government and initiates major economic liberalization, but the party’s parliamentary strength declines by 1996.
- 1998–2004: Sonia Gandhi becomes party president; Congress adjusts to coalition politics after weak Lok Sabha performances in 1998 and 1999.
UPA governments and recent decline
- 2004–2014: Congress heads the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition, with Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister, winning consecutive general elections in 2004 and 2009.
- 2014–2024: The party suffers major setbacks, winning only 44 seats in 2014 and 52 in 2019, but recovers somewhat to 99 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha under broader opposition alliances.
Leadership and structure today
- Post‑2017: Rahul Gandhi and later Mallikarjun Kharge lead organizational and opposition roles while Sonia Gandhi remains an influential figure.
- Present: The INC functions as the principal national opposition party, with a network of state units, affiliated frontal organizations, and participation in multi‑party alliances against the ruling bloc.
Major splits and mergers in the Congress party history
Major splits in the Congress party history begin with the Surat split of 1907 and continue through several organisational breakaways and later reunifications, especially around 1969, 1978–79, and the 1990s. These splits often reflected ideological fights, leadership struggles, or regional ambitions, and many produced new parties that later merged back or evolved into independent regional forces.
Early Surat split (1907)
- 1907: At the Surat session, the INC splits into Moderates (led by Gopal Krishna Gokhale) and Extremists (led by Bal Gangadhar Tilak) over methods of political struggle and control of the party.
- Impact: Though both still opposed colonial rule, the organisational rift weakened Congress unity until a gradual rapprochement before World War I.
1969 split: Congress (O) and Congress (R)
- 1969: A major national split occurs when party president S. Nijalingappa expels Prime Minister Indira Gandhi after conflict over the presidential election and her left‑leaning economic agenda.
- Result: The old guard becomes Indian National Congress (Organisation) or Congress (O), while Indira’s faction forms Congress (Requisitionists) or Congress (R), which soon emerges as the dominant “New Congress”.
1978–79: Congress (I) and other factions
- Late 1970s: After the Emergency and the 1977 defeat, further splits lead to factions such as Congress (Urs), Congress (Socialist) and others, reflecting regional leaders’ dissent from Indira Gandhi.
- 1978–79: Indira Gandhi’s group is increasingly identified as Congress (I) (“Indira”), and the Election Commission formally recognizes Congress (I) as the main Congress in the early 1980s.
Breakaway parties and regional offshoots
- Long term: Multiple leaders leave Congress to form breakaway parties, including Congress (S), All India Trinamool Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), YSR Congress, and others, many of which become powerful state or regional players.
- Some mergers: Certain factions later re‑merge with the central Congress, as in 1986 when Sharad Pawar’s Congress (S) merged into Congress (I), though he later helped found the NCP in 1999 after differences on foreign‑born leadership.
Overall pattern of splits and mergers
- Common causes: Ideological disagreements (moderate vs radical, left vs conservative), leadership rivalries (e.g., Indira vs Syndicate), and regional power bases repeatedly drive splits.
- Political effect: Splits gradually erode the Congress “system” of one‑party dominance and help create a fragmented, coalition‑based party system in which many Congress offshoots play key roles.
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