Janata Party: Difference between revisions

* [[Socialist Party headed by George Fernandes]]

* [[Bharatiya Kranti Dal headed by Charan Singh]]

women=Janata Mahila Morcha|Slogan=Janata se Janata ke liye|party_logo=Janata Party symbol.png|Image=[[Janata Party 300.jpg]]|eci=}}

The '''Janata Party''' ({{small|abbreviated as}} '''JP''', [[Literal translation|lit.]] ''People's Party'') was a political party that was founded as an amalgam of Indian political parties opposed to [[The Emergency (India)|the Emergency]] that was imposed between 1975 to 1977 by Prime Minister [[Indira Gandhi]] of the [[Indian National Congress]]. In the [[1977 Indian general election|1977 general election]], the party defeated the Congress and Janata leader [[Morarji Desai]] became the first non-Congress prime minister in [[history of the Republic of India|independent modern India's history]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-14|title=NCP chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai: Did not discuss Prez election or third front with Prashant Kishor|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/ncp-chief-sharad-pawar-in-mumbai-did-not-discuss-prez-election-or-third-front-with-prashant-kishor-101626287282137.html|access-date=2021-07-14|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref>

Having led the [[Indian independence movement]], the [[Indian National Congress]] became the most popular political party in independent India and won every election following national independence in 1947. However, the Indian National Congress bifurcated in 1969 over the issue of the leadership of [[Indira Gandhi]], the daughter of India's first prime minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]].<ref name="Congress">{{cite web|title=The Congress|url=http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+in0159)|publisher=[[Library of Congress]] Country Studies|access-date=5 July 2009}}</ref> Supporters of Indira Gandhi claimed to be the real Congress party, adopting the name [[Indian National Congress (R)]] – where "R" stood for "Requisition." Congress politicians who opposed Indira identified themselves as the [[Indian National Congress (Organisation)|Indian National Congress (O)]] – where "O" stood for "Organisation" or "Old." For the 1971 election, the [[Congress (O)]], [[Samyukta Socialist Party]] and the [[Bharatiya Jana Sangh]] had formed a coalition called the "Grand Alliance" to oppose Indira Gandhi and the [[Congress (R)]], but failed to have an impact;<ref name="LOC">{{cite web|title=The Rise of Indira Gandhi|url=http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+in0029)|publisher=[[Library of Congress]] Country Studies|access-date=27 June 2009}}</ref> Indira's Congress (R) won a large majority in the 1971 elections and her popularity increased significantly after India's victory in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|war of 1971]] against Pakistan.<ref name="LOC" />

On 25 June 1975, the [[President of India]], [[Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed]], accepted prime minister [[Indira Gandhi]]'s recommendation to declare a state of national emergency.<ref name="UK">{{cite news|title=OBITUARY: Morarji Desai|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-morarji-desai-1615165.html|work=The Independent|first=Kuldip |last=Singh|date=11 April 1995|access-date=27 June 2009|location=London}}</ref><ref name="LOC" /> Indira argued that the political and civil disorder constituted a threat to national security.<ref name="ING2">{{cite book|title=Indira: The Life Of Indira Nehru Gandhi|pages=[https://archive.org/details/indiralifeofindi00fran/page/377 377]|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|author=Katherine Frank|year=2002|isbn=978-0-395-73097-3|url=https://archive.org/details/indiralifeofindi00fran/page/377}}</ref> A state of emergency enabled the central government to issue executive decrees without requiring the consent of Parliament.<ref name="LOC" /> Elections were postponed and public gatherings, rallies and strikes were banned. Curfews were imposed and police forces were empowered to make warrantless searches, seizures and arrests. Indira's government imposed "President's rule" in the states of Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, dismissing the governments controlled by opposition political parties.<ref name="LOC" /> The central government also imposed censorship on radio, television and newspapers. Across the country, police forces arrested thousands of opposition political activists, as well as leaders such as [[Raj Narain]], [[Jayaprakash Narayan]], [[Jivatram Kripalani]], [[Kamaraj]], [[Morarji Desai]], [[Satyendra Narayan Sinha]], [[Vijay Raje Scindhia]], [[Charan Singh]], [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]], [[Lal Krishna Advani]] and others.<ref name="UK" /><ref name="LOC" /> Opposition political organizations such as the Hindu nationalist [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] (RSS) and the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]] were banned and their leaders arrested.<ref name="ING3">{{cite book|title=Indira: The Life Of Indira Nehru Gandhi|pages=[https://archive.org/details/indiralifeofindi00fran/page/382 382]|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|author=Katherine Frank|year=2002|isbn=978-0-395-73097-3|url=https://archive.org/details/indiralifeofindi00fran/page/382}}</ref> Only the [[Communist Party of India]] supported the state of emergency.<ref name="ING3" /> Due to the advancing age and failing health, Narayan was released from prison, but remained prohibited from political activity.

Calling elections on 18 January 1977 the government released political prisoners and weakened restrictions and censorship on the press, although the state of emergency was not officially ended. When opposition leaders sought the support of Jayaprakash Narayan for the forthcoming election, Narayan insisted that all opposition parties form a united front. The Janata party was officially launched on 23 January 1977 when the [[Janata Morcha]], [[Charan Singh]]'s [[Bharatiya Lok Dal]], [[Swatantra Party]], the [[Socialist Party of India]] of [[Raj Narain]] and [[George Fernandes]], and the [[Bharatiya Jana Sangh]] (BJS) joined together, dissolving their separate identities (the merger of all party organizations was to be completed after the election). Although the political ideologies of Janata constituents were diverse and conflicting, the party was able to unite under the over-reaching appeal of Jayaprakash Narayan, who had been seen as the ideological leader of the anti-Emergency movement and now the Janata party. [[Chandra Shekhar]] became first president of Janata Party. [[Ramakrishna Hegde]] became the party general secretary, and [[Bharatiya Jana Sangh]] politician [[Lal Krishna Advani]] became the party spokesperson.

* [[Indian National Congress|Congress (R)]] Rebels like [[Chandra Shekhar]], [[Krishan Kant]], [[Ram Dhan]], [[Mohan Dharia]], [[Chandrajit Yadav]], [[Lakshmi Kanthamma]]

<br /> '''Sources: Keesing`s – World News Archive'''

Immediately upon taking office, the Janata government pressured the ten state governments where the Congress was in power to dissolve the state assemblies and hold fresh elections in June. Tamil Nadu witnessed the massive victory of the AIADMK, led by M.G.Ramachandran, former matinee idol, who enjoyed a semi-divine status and respect from the people of the state, for his selfless and sincere nature of politics. Home Minister Charan Singh argued that the ruling party had been resoundingly rejected by voters and would need to win a new mandate from the people of the states. The Congress (R) was defeated in all the states, and the Janata party took power in seven – Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh. In Punjab, the Janata party formed a coalition government with the Akali Dal. In Bihar, [[Karpuri Thakur]] won the closely contested Janata legislature party leadership from the<ref>{{cite book

  }}</ref> then Bihar Janata Party chief [[Satyendra Narayan Sinha]] to become the Bihar [[Chief Minister]].The number of Janata members of the legislative assemblies (MLAs) of all the states increased from 386 to 1,246 seats. The government also called fresh elections in the state of [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], where the Janata party won 13 seats to the Congress' 11, and the veteran Kashmiri politician [[Sheikh Abdullah]] returned to power after having been dismissed in 1953.

India also sought to improve relations with the United States, which had been strained due to the latter's support for Pakistan during the 1971 war and India's subsequent proximity with the [[Soviet Union]]. The Janata government announced its desire to achieve "genuine" [[Non-Aligned Movement|non-alignment]] in the [[Cold War]], which had been the long-standing national policy. In 1978, [[Jimmy Carter]] became the first U.S. president to make an official visit to India. Both nations sought to improve trade and expand cooperation in science and technology. Vajpayee represented India at the U.N. conference on nuclear disarmament, defending India's nuclear programme and its refusal to sign non-proliferation treaties.

The Janata government had lesser success in achieving economic reforms. It launched the Sixth Five-Year Plan, aiming to boost agricultural production and rural industries. Seeking to promote economic self-reliance and indigenous industries, the government required multi-national corporations to go into partnership with Indian corporations. The policy proved controversial, diminishing foreign investment and led to the high-profile exit of corporations such as [[Coca-Cola]] and [[IBM]] from India.<ref name="IMM">{{cite book|title=India: From Midnight To Millennium and Beyond|authors=Shashi Tharoor|pages=164–66|publisher=Arcade Publishing|year=2006|isbn=978-1-55970-803-6 }}</ref> But the government was unable to address the issues of resurging inflation, fuel shortages, unemployment and poverty. The legalization of strikes and re-empowerment of trade unions affected business efficiency and economic production.

In [[1980 Indian general election|1980 general elections]], Janata Party declared [[Jagjivan Ram]] as its Prime Ministerial candidate, but the party won only 31 seats out of 542.<ref>{{Cite web|first=General Election, 1980 (Vol I, II)|title=General Election, 1980 (Vol I, II)|url=https://eci.gov.in/files/file/4117-general-election-1980-vol-i-ii/|url-status=live|website=Election Commission of India}}</ref>  

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[[Veerendra Patil]] (1977–78)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Gowda and irony of coalition building|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/gowda-and-irony-of-coalition-building/351302|access-date=2021-12-09|website=https://www.outlookindia.com/}}</ref>

[[D. Manjunath]] (1983)<ref>{{Cite web|last1=July 18|first1=Raj Chengappa|last2=July 15|first2=2013 ISSUE DATE|last3=June 11|first3=1983UPDATED|last4=Ist|first4=2014 15:56|title=We never considered the Kranti Ranga to be our supporters: Ramakrishna Hegde|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19830715-we-never-considered-the-kranti-ranga-to-be-our-supporters-ramakrishna-hegde-770844-2013-07-18|access-date=2021-08-22|website=India Today|language=en}}</ref>

[[M. P. Prakash]] (1987)<ref>{{Cite web|last1=December 31|first1=Anita Pratap|last2=December 31|first2=1987 ISSUE DATE|last3=December 11|first3=1987UPDATED|last4=Ist|first4=2013 16:18|title=Janata Party protests, but Karnataka Congress(I) chief Janardhan Poojary's loan mela wins|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19871231-janata-party-protests-but-karnataka-congressi-chief-janardhan-poojary-loan-mela-wins-799671-1987-12-31|access-date=2021-08-22|website=India Today|language=en}}</ref>

[[Jeevaraj Alva]] (1988-1990)<ref>{{Cite web|last1=September 15|first1=Raj Chengappa|last2=September 15|first2=1988 ISSUE DATE|last3=November 21|first3=1988UPDATED|last4=Ist|first4=2013 17:08|title=Karnataka's new CM S.R. Bommai inherits a troubled legacy|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19880915-karnataka-new-chief-minister-s-r-bommai-inherits-troubled-legacy-797677-1988-09-15|access-date=2021-08-17|website=India Today|language=en}}</ref>

[[R. Jebamani|Nellai R.Jebamani]]'''

Between 1980 and 1989, the Janata party maintained a small presence in the Indian Parliament under the leadership of socialist politician [[Chandra Sekhar]].<ref name="POI">{{cite book|title=The Politics of India Since Independence|authors=Paul R. Brass|pages=84–86|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|year=1994|isbn=978-0-521-45970-9}}</ref> In 1988, it merged into the [[Janata Dal]], which had emerged as the chief opposition party under the leadership of [[V. P. Singh|Vishwanath Pratap Singh]] and the main constituent of the [[National Front (India)|National Front]] coalition.<ref name="POI" /> Singh had become widely popular for exposing the role of the government of prime minister [[Rajiv Gandhi]], the eldest son and successor of Indira, in the [[Bofors scandal]], though on 5 February 2004, the [[Delhi High Court]] quashed the charges of bribery against Rajiv Gandhi and others,.<ref name="POI" /><ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3458319.stm | work=BBC News | title=Rajiv Gandhi cleared over bribery | date=4 February 2004}}</ref> Under V. P. Singh, the Janata Dal and the National Front sought to replicate the Janata-style alliance of anti-Congress political parties.<ref name="POI" /> Although it failed to win a majority, it managed to form a fragile coalition government with V.P. Singh as the prime minister with the outside support of the BJP and the Communist Party of India (Marxist).<ref name="POI" /> However, Singh's government soon fell victim to intra-party rivalries and power struggles, and his successor Chandra Sekhar's Janata Dal (Socialist) government lasted barely into 1991.<ref name="POI" />

Although its tenure in office was tumultuous and unsuccessful, the Janata party played a definitive role in Indian politics and history and its legacy remains strong in contemporary India. The Janata party led a popular movement to restore civil liberties, evoking the memories and principles of the Indian independence movement. Its success in ending 30 years of uninterrupted Congress rule helped strengthen India's multi-party democracy. The term "Janata" has been used by several major political parties such as the [[Biju Janata Dal]] (BJD), '''''[[Bharatiya Janata Party]]''''' (BJP), [[Janata Dal (United)]], [[Janata Dal (Secular)]], [[Rashtriya Janata Dal]] and others.