Challenges to and Restoration of the Congress System It took some time before the new Prime Minister could settle down. While Indira Gandhi had been politically active for very long, she had served as a minister under Lal Bahadur Shastri only for a short period. The senior Congress leaders may have supported Indira Gandhi in the belief that her administrative and political inexperience would compel her to be dependent on them for support and guidance. Within a year of becoming Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi had to lead the party in a Lok Sabha election.
Around this time, the economic situation in the country had further deteriorated, adding to her problems. Faced with these difficulties, she set out to gain control over the party and to demonstrate her leadership skills. Indira Gandhi ( - ): Prime Minister of India from to and to ; daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru; participated in the freedom struggle as a young Congress worker; Congress President in ; minister in Shastri’s cabinet from - ; led the Congress party to victory in , and general elections; credited with the slogan ‘garibi hatao’, victory in war and for policy initiatives like abolition of Privy Purse, nationalisation of banks, nuclear test and environmental protection; assassinated on October . Credit: R.
K. Laxman in The Times of India, January