Class 12 Political Science: The Era of One-Party Dominance

Introduction

• Speaker: Purva
• Chapter: Class 12 Political Science, Chapter 2
• Topic: The Era of One-Party Dominance
• Playlist: Smart Board Series

One-Party Dominance

• Dominance: Repeated victories of the same party
• Party: Congress Party
• History: Leaders in the freedom struggle, like Jawaharlal Nehru

Post-Independence Period

• Post-Independence: Many new independent countries were formed
• Fear of Democracy: Fear of democracy in new countries, as it could be a threat to unity

Perspective of India

• Choosing Democracy: Selection of politics for problem-solving
• Interim Government: Temporary government without elections
• Constitution: Framed on 26 November 1949, implemented on 26 January 1950

Preparation for the First Election

• Challenge: Delimiting constituencies
• Number of Voters: 170 million eligible voters, 3200 assembly members, and 489 Lok Sabha members
• Literacy: Only 15% literate

First Election after Independence

• Date: October 1951 to February 1952
• Election Process: Use of ballots
• Outcome: Congress victory, major success

Congress Dominance

• First Three Elections: Overwhelming majority for Congress
• Reason: Popularity, charismatic leadership of Nehru, legacy of the national movement

Emergence of Opposition Parties

• Role of Opposition Parties: Keeping the government democratic
• Major Opposition Parties: Socialist Party, Bharatiya Jana Sangh, Communist Party

Internal Structure of Congress

• Internal Factions: Groups with different ideologies
• Inclusive Nature of Congress: Representation of all social groups

Important Personalities

• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad: Freedom fighter and Education Minister
• Rajkumari Amrit Kaur: Health Minister
• Shyama Prasad Mukherjee: Founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh
• B. R. Ambedkar: Chairman of the Constituent Assembly, differences on the Hindu Code Bill