Question

India’s first coalition government in New Delhi was formed under the leadership of:

• A. V. P. Singh
• B. P. V. Narasimharao
• C. Morarji Desai
• D. Atal Behari Vajpayee

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

India’s first coalition government at the Union level was formed after the Emergency period, during the general elections of 1977. The Congress party, led by Indira Gandhi, faced widespread public discontent due to the Emergency (1975–77). In that election, a number of opposition parties came together to challenge Congress under a common banner.

Step 1 — Background:
• Several opposition parties such as the Jan Sangh, Bharatiya Lok Dal, Congress (O), and Socialist groups merged to form the Janata Party.
• Their unity was fueled by the common aim of defeating the Congress, which had been the dominant party since Independence.

Step 2 — Election results of 1977:
• The Janata Party scored a historic victory, defeating Congress for the first time at the national level.
• This marked the beginning of coalition politics in India, since the Janata Party itself was a coalition of many smaller groups and leaders from diverse ideological backgrounds.

Step 3 — Leadership:
• After internal discussions among leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan, Charan Singh, Jagjivan Ram, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the leadership mantle was given to Morarji Desai.
• Thus, in March 1977, Morarji Desai was sworn in as the Prime Minister of India, heading the first coalition government at the Centre.

Step 4 — Significance:
• The formation of this coalition ended the Congress monopoly on power since 1947.
• It marked the arrival of multi-party coalition politics in India, which would later become a defining feature of Indian democracy in the 1990s and 2000s.

Final Answer:
India’s first coalition government in New Delhi was formed under the leadership of Morarji Desai. This corresponds to Option (C).