An Indian Political Life : Charan Singh and Congress Politics, 1967 to 1987

Charan Singh and Congress Politics, 1967 to 1987, the third and final volume in the trilogy of The Politics of Northern India, begins with the dramatic political event of the fall of the Congress in the most critical state of UP and the formation of the first non-Congress government. This event was of the utmost concern to Indira Gandhi, for she could not rule the country without a firm political base in the most populous state of the country. Insofar as Charan Singh was concerned, it marked the beginning of his rise to power in the state and the beginning also of the dramatic and complicated struggle between him and Indira Gandhi. The current volume, like the previous volumes, is based upon the author's access to all the critical documents in Charan Singh's political life, an access that was provided to him by Charan Singh personally, and which he has used specifically for this work on his political life. Cover 1 Contents 8 Preface and Series Note* 14 Chronology of Principal Eventsin the Life of Charan Singh 18 Part 1 22 1. The Fall of the Congress and Formation ofthe First Non-Congress Government 24 2. Alignments and Realignments 52 3. Misalliances: Charan Singh andIndira Gandhi 79 4. “Nationalization” of the UP Sugar Industry 108 5. Indira Gandhi, Kamalapati Tripathi,Charan Singh, and “New Congress” Politics 120 6. Land Ceilings 143 7. Hiatus 167 Part 2 188 8. Declaration of th 190 9. The Gradual Restoration of Normality andTermination of the Emergency 213 10. The Fall and Rise of Indira Gandhi 230 11. Arrest and Release Drama 247 Part 3 256 12. Split between Morarji Desai andCharan Singh 258 13. Defeat, Outrage, and Division 277 14. Charan Singh’s Legacy 287 Appendix A. Interview with Chaudhuri Charan Singhat the Suraj Kund Inspection House,Outside of Delhi, 24 March 1978(Recall from Memory) 298 Appendix B. Remarks of Narain Dutt Tiwari, Minister ofFinance, UP, Concerning Charan Singh.Part of a Taped Interview in His Home,Lucknow, 22 July 1973 309 Appendix C. Paul R. Brass Transcribed Interview withIndira Gandhi, 26 March 1978 311 Bibliography 323 Index 326 About the Author 331 Offers an account of the chief ministership of Sucheta Kripalani - a political outsider catapulted to the top by the power struggles of fractious factions - and at the same time explores against the backdrop of regionalism in UP the considerable yet little-known role played by Charan Singh in issues of states reorganization for northern India.