1977. The first election Lok Sabha results after emergency is announced. Indiraji and Congress lose badly for the first time since Independence.

Loose coalition of political parties form Govt. The Govt lasts for just 3 years and in 1980 Indiraji is back in power. We will understand what mistakes the Govt did and why BJP is right in not repeating the mistakes. They are as follows:

  1. Was Paranoid to send Indiraji to Jail: After Morarji Govt came to power, he became hell bent in punishing Indiraji and fell after her in person. Tough to believe, a police complaint was lodged against Indiraji for stealing 2 hens. Due to all these, the Indiraji played the victim card and increased her popularity. In contrary, the successive BJP govts, have never fallen personally for their rivals and try to jail them. Rather they have targeted the corrupt ecosystems which provide them the financial muscle. Refer my article here.
  2. Did not focus on governance: Governing a large country like India is not easy. Morarji Govt did not make serious attempt to project that there is a alternative to Congress which can Govern India in a better manner. Whereas, Both Vajpayee and Modi are focusing on providing good governance. If people are convinced that a better alternative exists, they will go for the better one. It is akin drawing a bigger line to make the existing one small.
  3. Nasty Infighting: Morarji Govt did not have a discipline to obey and work under a leader. There were many leaders plotting to dethrone Morarji. What happened? Sanjay (son of Indiraji) lured one leader to become the PM with Congress support, and dumped him immediately. Ultimately the first non Congress Govt. collapsed. And Indiraji came back to power after next elections.

These mistakes had long term ramifications? How?

  1. China started its economic reforms in 1978, we now see where China stands and how much ahead is China of India economically, militarily and internationally.
  2. Had this non-Congress stayed in power, it must have started economic reforms around the same time. The Morarji Govt. did not believe in communist ideology as Indira Gandhi.
  3. May be, as in 2021, we would have been seeing India become a $15-20 trillion economy and ahead of China.

It is good to see that BJP got separated from Janta Party(Jana Sangh, earlier avatar of BJP was merged in to Janata Party). BJP learnt the lessons and is not repeating the same mistakes.

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