Congress After Indira: Policy, Power, Political Change, 1984-2009

In the aftermath of Indira Gandhi’s assassination, the Congress party swept the polls in 1984. It reached its zenith with Rajiv Gandhi at the helm. However, due to shifts in Indian polity, economy, and society, this period marked the end of the Congress epoch. It was only a couple of decades later that the Congress was able to emerge as a dominant party again. How did the new Indian political landscape shape the development and the comeback of the Congress in the 2004 parliamentary elections in a coalition? What was the role of contemporary Congress politics, its policy, its organization, and leadership in the face of these challenges? Congress after Indira seeks answers to these questions. This richly researched and nuanced study of the Congress party advances our understanding and perceptions of political structures, processes, and Indian politics.