Grand Alliance (1971)
Topic: Challenges to and Restoration of the Congress System · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 5 "Challenges to and Restoration of the Congress System"
Meaning
The Grand Alliance was the group of major non-communist, non-Congress parties that came together against Indira Gandhi in the 1971 general election. It included the SSP, PSP, Jana Sangh, Swatantra and BKD, and the Congress (O) fought alongside it. The parties had very different ideas and no shared programme. So Indira Gandhi said its only plan was "Indira Hatao" (remove Indira). She answered with her own positive slogan, "Garibi Hatao" (remove poverty).
Example
In the 1971 election, held in March 1971 after the Lok Sabha was dissolved a year early, the Grand Alliance won fewer than 60 seats. The Congress (R) alone won 352 seats. Its alliance with the CPI won 375 seats and 48.4% of the vote.
Don't confuse with
- Samyukta Vidhayak Dal (SVD): these were joint groups of non-Congress parties that formed state governments after the 1967 election. The Grand Alliance was a national election front in 1971, and it lost.
- Congress (R)–CPI alliance: the CPI was allied with Indira Gandhi's party in 1971. It was not part of the Grand Alliance, which was non-communist.