Swatantra Party
Topic: Era of One-Party Dominance: First Elections and the Congress System · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 2 "Era of One-Party Dominance"; Class 12, Ch 4 "India's External Relations"; Class 12, Ch 5 "Challenges to and Restoration of the Congress System"
Meaning
The Swatantra Party was founded in 1959 by C. Rajagopalachari, with Minoo Masani, N.G. Ranga and K.M. Munshi. It was formed after the Congress's Nagpur resolution (January 1959) on land ceilings, which are limits on how much land one person can own, and on cooperative farming. Swatantra wanted an economy free from State control. It opposed the 'licence-permit raj', the system of government licences needed to run a business, and it favoured closer ties with the US.
Example
The party drew support from industrialists, landlords and former princes. It joined the 1971 Grand Alliance and merged into the Bharatiya Lok Dal in 1974. In the exam exercise that matches leaders to parties, Minoo Masani goes with Swatantra.
Don't confuse with
- Bharatiya Jana Sangh: also on the right, but it was built on cultural nationalism ("one country, one culture, one nation"). Swatantra was built on a free-market economy.