Question

The Indian National Congress was defeated for the time in the General Elections of Parliament in the year _____________.
a. 1962
b. 1967
c. 1977
d. 1998

Answer 1

Hint: This turned to be a decisive year in the history of Modern India, wherein the popular party failed to acquire the popular votes, due to unpopular decisions taken by the then-Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi. The main reason for the win of the opposition party was to remind the masses of the “dictatorial” rule by the Indian Congress Party.

Complete answer:
The Indian National Congress became the country's main political party after Indian independence in 1947. In 1952, the party swept to power in the national Parliament and most state legislatures in the first general election held since Independence. Nationally, it retained power until 1977, when the Janata coalition defeated it.

In 1977, India held general elections to the 6th Lok Sabha. These elections represented all 27 Indian states and union territories. The Emergency pronounced by the Indira Gandhi-driven Congress government was the central issue in the 1977 races. Common freedoms were suspended during the public crisis from 25 June 1975 to 21 March 1977 and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi expected immense forces.

Gandhi had gotten incredibly disagreeable for her choice and paid for it during the decisions. Mrs. Gandhi, on 18 January 1977, called for new elections and released every single political detainee. Four Opposition parties, the Congress (Organization; not INC), the Jan Sangh, the Bharatiya Lok Dal, and the Socialist Party, chose to battle the decisions under a solitary pennant called the ‘Janata coalition’. The votes were projected from 16 to 19 March. The tallying of votes began on 20-March and the outcomes began rolling in from that day's night.

The Janata coalition helped electors to remember the abundances and common freedoms infringement during the Emergency, as mandatory vasectomy and detainment of political pioneers. The Janata lobby said the decisions would choose whether India would have "democracy or autocracy."

Hence, the correct answer is option C.

Note:
In the newly established Parliament, Morarji Desai was chosen as the alliance's leader. He became India's first non-Congress Prime Minister on 24th March 1977. Congress has lost almost 200 seats. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi, her popular son, both lost their seats.