The wheels for the 1977 election were set in motion years earlier— by the imposition of Emergency and unpopular policy choices. The architect of both of these was Indira Gandhi, India’s first female Prime Minister, both revered and reviled.
The Emergency story traces its roots back to 1971, when socialist leader Raj Narain lost to Mrs. Gandhi in the Lok Sabha election for the Rae Bareli seat in Uttar Pradesh. Mr. Narain filed a case alleging electoral malpractice and violation of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, saying that Mrs. Gandhi used government officers for her election work, including her election agent Yashpal Kapur. On June 12, 1975, Mrs. Gandhi was convicted of electoral malpractice by the Allahabad High Court, disqualifying her from the Lok Sabha and from all elected posts for six years.
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