Word: gandhi
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...elephant trapped in quicksand" is the way Indira Gandhi sometimes describes her ruling Congress Party. During the past few years, the party's dismal performance makes that description seem particularly apt. Indian voters have turned against the once all-powerful Congress Party. In the 1967 state elections, for example, the party lost control of four key states-Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and the Punjab. In last February's midterm elections in those states, Congress failed to regain its old supremacy. Last week the party developed new troubles: an open power struggle in the leadership...
...fight pits Prime Minister Indira Gandhi against the party's so-called "Syndicate," a closely knit group of conservative big-city bosses. The issue is the political direction of the party. Ever since she took over three years ago, Indira has attempted to push Congress toward the socialist goals ordained by earlier leaders, including her father Jawaharlal Nehru. But she has run into opposition from disapproving party right-wingers, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Morarji Desai, her sole rival in the 1966 and 1967 party elections for the premiership. The right-wingers feel that Indira...
...Gandhi had thrown her prestige behind Acting President V. V. Giri, but the Syndicate vetoed his nomination. Then Indira switched her support to Food and Agriculture Minister Jagjivan Ram. The Syndicate, however, forced through the approval of Sanjiva Reddy, Speaker of the Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament) and a loyal Syndicate member. Indira was furious and decided to strike back directly at Finance Minister Desai, who had opposed her plan to nationalize the banks...
After a day of plotting tactics, she issued a curt announcement from the President's House stating that "Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister, shall be Minister of Finance in addition to her present charges." Stripped of the powerful Finance portfolio, the angry and embarrassed Desai quit as Deputy Prime Minister. "How can I continue?" he asked. After frantic efforts by their Cabinet colleagues and Congress Party President Nijalingappa to bring about a reconciliation, Mrs. Gandhi and Desai were coaxed to meet for an hour at week...
Their icy confrontation served only to deepen the Congress split. Desai demanded reinstatement to the Finance Ministry. Mrs. Gandhi refused. Then she proceeded to carry out her proposals herself. At week's end India's 14 largest private banks were nationalized. Stunned by the speed and force of Indira's ambush, the Syndicate made no immediate response. The party bosses may decide not to challenge her on the leadership issue since the party has already twice rejected the austere and inflexible Desai in Indira's favor because he has little voter appeal. But in the event...