Lok Sabha Election of March 1977

On 18 January 1977, Mrs Indira Gandhi prematurely dissolved the Lok Sabha, 15 months before the expiry of its extended term. She called for fresh Lok Sabha elections in March 1977 and released all political prisoners.  

The Emergency which came into effect on 25 June 1975 officially ended on 21 March 1977. The opposition led by Jay Prakash Narayan's Janata Party campaign warned Indians that the elections might be their last chance to choose between "democracy and dictatorship."

The Lok Sabha election was held between March 16 to 20 March 1977. 

The Congress was reduced to just 153 seats, 92 of which were from four of the southern states. The Janata Party's 298 seats and its allies' 47 seats (of a total 542) gave it a massive majority. 

Mrs Indira Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi both lost their Lok Sabha seats, as did all the Congress candidates in northern states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Many Congress Party loyalists deserted Mrs Gandhi. 

Voters in the electorally largest state of Uttar Pradesh, historically a Congress stronghold, turned against Indira Gandhi and her party failed to win a single seat in the state. 

Meanwhile, Congress hit an all-time low in West Bengal because of the poor discipline and factionalism among Congress activists as well as the numerous defections that weakened the party. Opponents emphasised the issues of corruption in Congress and appealed to a deep desire by the voters for fresh leadership. 

The structural reasons behind the discontent against the Government included:  

- The emergence of the strong and united opposition, 

- Disunity and weariness inside Congress, 

- An effective underground opposition, and 

- Ineffectiveness of Gandhi's control of the mass media, which had lost much credibility. 

The structural factors allowed voters to express their grievances, notably their resentment of the emergency and its authoritarian and repressive policies. One grievance often mentioned as the 'nasbandi' (vasectomy) campaign in rural areas. The middle classes also emphasised the curbing of freedom throughout India. 

In the wake of the election outcome, the Government decided on 21 March 1977 to 
revoke permanently the state of emergency.  Mrs. Gandhi, in office since 
1966, resigned on 22 March 1977. 
Mr Morarji Desai was chosen as the leader of the alliance in the newly formed parliament and thus became independent India's fourth and also the first non-Congress Prime Minister on 24 March 1977.