Factionalism in the Congress
Topic: Era of One-Party Dominance: First Elections and the Congress System · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 2 "Era of One-Party Dominance"
Meaning
Factions were groups inside the Congress party. Some were based on ideas or ideology, but many grew out of personal ambition and rivalry. The party tolerated these groups and even encouraged them. Because of this, unhappy members stayed inside the party and fought other groups instead of leaving. So factions worked as a balancing mechanism, not just a weakness. Opposition parties also used them, pressing their demands through friendly factions.
Example
In 1950, P.D. Tandon was elected Congress president against Nehru's wishes. He resigned in 1951 and Nehru took over the post. The fight was settled inside the party. The film Simhasan (1981) shows a factional fight over the Maharashtra chief ministership.
Don't confuse with
- Congress system: Rajni Kothari's (1964) name for the whole pattern of 1952-67, in which Congress acted as both ruling party and opposition. Factionalism is one part of it: the groups that made this inside contest possible.