Who founded the Swatantra Party in 1957?
VerifiedAnswer: C. Raja Gopalchari
Explanation:
C. Raja Gopalchari founded the Swatantra Party on August 10, 1957, in India. Raja Gopalchari, popularly known as Rajaji, was a prominent freedom fighter, lawyer, and political leader who served as the last Governor-General of India and the first Indian to hold this position.
The Swatantra Party was established as a response to what Rajaji saw as the overly socialist policies of the Indian National Congress under Jawaharlal Nehru's leadership. Rajaji believed in free-market economics and was concerned about the increasing government control over the economy and the growing influence of socialist ideas in India's development policies.
The party's name "Swatantra" means "freedom" in Sanskrit, reflecting its core philosophy of individual liberty and free enterprise. The party advocated for minimal government intervention in economic affairs, supported private enterprise, and opposed the License Raj system that was being implemented by the Congress government.
Raja Gopalchari was joined by several other notable leaders in founding the party, including former princely rulers and businessmen who shared his vision of economic liberalism. The party attracted support from various sections of society, including landowners, businessmen, and those who were concerned about the socialist direction of India's economic policies.
The Swatantra Party performed reasonably well in the early years after its formation, becoming the largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha after the 1962 and 1967 general elections. However, the party gradually declined in the 1970s and was eventually dissolved in 1974. Despite its relatively short lifespan, the Swatantra Party played an important role in providing an alternative political voice in post-independence India and advocating for free-market economic principles.
