Today’s history: Indira Gandhi had a strong return to power, Congress had won more than 350 seats

Indira Gandhi returned to power on this day with a bang in the 1980 Lok Sabha elections. The results of the Seventh Lok Sabha elections held on 3-6 January 1980 began to be declared on 7 January and the Congress’s thumping victory was clearly visible on the very first day.

Eventually, in these elections, the Congress returned to power, winning more than 350 seats. The Congress got strong success in these elections even in those Hindi states, where it had to face defeat in 1977.

Indira got a thumping majority in 1980 after the 1977 defeat

This victory of Indira Gandhi was also significant because in the elections held just three years ago in 1977, the Congress got the worst defeat since independence and the party could win only 154 seats. However, in the 1977 elections, the people of the country had expressed displeasure over the Emergency imposed by Indira, which became the reason for the Congress’s most crushing defeat.

Congress won a thumping majority in the 1980 elections under the leadership of Indira Gandhi

Only three years after that defeat, Indira Gandhi made a tremendous comeback in the 1980 Lok Sabha elections. The Janata Party, which was the reason behind Indira Gandhi’s defeat in 1977, was rejected by the people in the 1980 elections.

The opposition was blown away in Indira’s storm

How big was the victory of the Congress can be gauged from the fact that no other party was able to win even so many seats that it could officially get the status of the opposition party. The two main opposition parties of the Congress, the Janata Party and the Lok Dal, did not even get enough seats to get the status of a national party.

Janata Dal contested 433 seats but won only 31. On the other hand, Chaudhary Charan Singh’s Janata Dal (Secular) could get only 8 seats. The Janata Dal (Secular) changed its name to Lok Dal before the 1980 elections, but the Election Commission recognized it as the Janata Dal (S).

Indira Gandhi served as the Prime Minister from 14 January 1980 to 31 October 1984 after a landslide victory in the elections. He was shot dead by his bodyguards on 31 October 1984 while being PM. After Indira Gandhi, her son Rajiv Gandhi became the Prime Minister.

In the 1980 elections, the opposition was completely destroyed in front of Indira Gandhi.

Important events of 7 January in India and the world:

2017: Former Portuguese President Mario Soares passed away.

2015: Two gunmen attacked Charlie Abdo’s office in Paris, killing 12 and injuring 11 others.

2009: Ramalingam Raju, chairman of IT company Satyam, has resigned from his post.

2008: President Pratibha Patil administered the oath of office to Vinod Rai as the Comptroller and Auditor General.

2003: Japan announced an aid of $ 900 million to India to help in development works.

2000: Thousands of Muslims in Jakarta (Indonesia) declared jihad against Christians in the Moluccas Islands.

1999: The impeachment proceedings against US President Bill Clinton began.

1989: Emperor Hirohito of Japan dies, Akihito declared as new emperor.

1987: Kapil Dev completed 300 wickets in Test cricket.

1972: 108 passengers, including six crew members, died in a plane crash in Spain’s Ibiza region.

1959: The United States recognized the new government of Fidel Castro in Cuba.

1953: US President Harry Truman announced the creation of a hydrogen bomb.

1859: Trial begins against Mughal ruler Bahadur Shah Zafar (II) in Sepoy Mutiny case.

1761: Afghan ruler Ahmed Shah Abdali defeated the Marathas in the third battle of Panipat.