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Prime ministers

A Look Back at India's Parliamentary Democracy Through the Tenures of its PMs

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

India has seen 15 prime ministers over the past seven decades, with each tenure marking significant social, political, and economic changes. In this article, we take a closer look at the country's parliamentary democracy through the tenures of its PMs, focusing on the pivotal roles of Rajiv Gandhi and Narendra Modi.

Rajiv Gandhi, who served as the seventh PM from October 1984 to December 1989, was the country's youngest PM at the age of 40. Born on August 20, 1944, in Bombay (now Mumbai), Rajiv was an alumnus of Doon School, Dehradun. A professional commercial pilot, he reluctantly took a plunge in politics and became a Congress party leader. Rajiv's parliamentary journey began on August 17, 1981, when he became a member of the seventh Lok Sabha after winning a by-election to Uttar Pradesh's Amethi constituency.

During his tenure, Rajiv opted for fresh parliamentary polls after taking over as PM following Indira's assassination. The elections to the eighth Lok Sabha were held in November-December 1984, in which the Congress swept the polls by winning 404 out of 514 seats. This is the highest number of seats won by any party in the country in the Lok Sabha elections till date. Rajiv himself won from Amethi by defeating Independent candidate Maneka Gandhi with a margin of 3,14,878 votes.

Key Takeaways:

  • Rajiv Gandhi was the country's youngest PM at the age of 40, serving from October 1984 to December 1989.
  • He was a professional commercial pilot who reluctantly took a plunge in politics and became a Congress party leader.
  • Rajiv's parliamentary journey began on August 17, 1981, when he became a member of the seventh Lok Sabha after winning a by-election to Uttar Pradesh's Amethi constituency.
  • The Congress swept the polls in the 1984 elections by winning 404 out of 514 seats, the highest number of seats won by any party in the country in the Lok Sabha elections till date.
  • Rajiv won from Amethi by defeating Independent candidate Maneka Gandhi with a margin of 3,14,878 votes.
  • The general elections to the 9th Lok Sabha were held in November 1989, resulting in a fractured mandate with no party winning a clear majority.
  • The Congress emerged as the single largest party, winning 197 of 510 seats it contested, while the Janata Dal stood second with 143 seats, and the BJP won 85 seats.

Statistics:

  • Rajiv Gandhi served as PM for a period of 1,858 days.
  • The Congress won 404 out of 514 seats in the 1984 elections, the highest number of seats won by any party in the country in the Lok Sabha elections till date.
  • Rajiv won from Amethi by defeating Independent candidate Maneka Gandhi with a margin of 3,14,878 votes.
  • The 1989 elections resulted in a fractured mandate, with the Congress emerging as the single largest party by winning 197 of 510 seats it contested.

Sources:

  • The Indian Express article, titled "A Look Back at India's Parliamentary Democracy Through the Tenures of its PMs"
  • The Hindu article, titled "Rajiv Gandhi: A Tragic Figure"
  • Wikipedia, article on Rajiv Gandhi.

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