The Organizational Development of India's Congress Party

Abstract

THE SUCCESS OF THE CONGRESS PARTY in providing stable and orderly government for the Indian Republic for more than a decade has been contingent upon the solution of a number of problems within the party organization. First, the Congress had to resolve the conflicts resulting from the growth of two wings in the party (a governmental wing, led by the older heroes of the independence movement who secured office in the post-independence Congress ministries; and an organizational wing, led by the younger leaders of the party organization). Second, the Congress has had to balance a number of competing factions centering on individuals, ideologies, and major issues. Finally, the party has been faced with declining membership and difficulty in recruiting new leaders and new members. Some insight into the operation of the Indian Union, and the reasons for the success of the Congress, can be gained by analyzing the means used to overcome these organizational difficulties. The growth of an organizational wing within the Congress began with the resignation in November I947 of the party president, Acharya Kripalani. Holding no governmental position, he explained that he was resigning because the leading Congressmen in the government had not consulted with the party leaders on matters of policy. In his resignation statement he argued: