India - 5th Lok Sabha 1971

5th Lok Sabha 1971

Indira Gandhi steered the Congress to a landslide victory in 1971.Campaigning on the slogan of "garibi hatao" (eliminate poverty), she returned in Parliament with 352 seats, a marked improvement from the party's poor show of 283 in the previous polls. 

For Indira Gandhi, the bar had been raised. And she didn't disappoint. She didn't flinch when it came to taking tough decisions during the India-Pakistan war in 1971 that resulted in the liberation of Bangladesh. India's victory in December 1971 was hailed by all Indians as it came in the face of diplomatic opposition from both China and the United States. There was hardly any international support from almost every other nation except the erstwhile Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc countries. 

For Indira and the Congress, there were other problems in store. Enormous economic cost of the Indo-Pak war, increase in world oil prices and, drop in industrial output added to the economic hardships. 

On June 12, 1975, the Allahabad High Court invalidated her 1971 election on the grounds of electoral malpractices. Instead of resigning, Indira Gandhi declared an Emergency in the country and jailed the entire Opposition. 

The Emergency lasted till March 1977 and in the General Elections held in 1977, she was routed by a coalition of parties called Janta Morcha. This was the first time that the Congress had been dealt a bloody blow.

Dates: 15/03/1971-18/01/1977

Speaker Dr.G.S. Dhillion 22/3/1971 -1/12/1975 Shri Bali Ram Bhagat 5/1/1976 -25/3/1977 Deputy Speaker Shri G.G.Swell 27/3/1971 -18/1/1977 Secretary-General Shri S.L. Shakdher 15/03/1971-18/01/1977