Causes of split in the Congress Party in 1969.

The 1969 Presidential election brought out the rivalry between Syndicate and Congress in open. The post of President fell vacant due to the death of Zakir Hussain. Despite Mrs. Gandhi’s reluctance, Congress managed to nominate her opponent and Lok Sabha speaker, N. Sanjeeva Reddy as official candidate of Congress. Indira Gandhi, retaliated by encouraging the then vice-president V.V. Giri to file nomination papers as an independent candidate. She even took step like nationalisation of fourteen leading private banks, abolition of privy purse, etc. Morarji Desai, Deputy Premier left her cabinet due to differences over this issue.

This time, both the groups of Congress were ready for a showdown. Congress President S. Nijalingappa issued a whip asking all Congress MPs and MLAs to vote for N. Sanjeeva Reddy. Indira Gandhi on the other hand appealed for a conscience vote by Congressmen. The election resulted in victory of V.V. Giri independent candidate and defeat of Sanjeeva Reddy, official Congress candidate.

Furious for breaking party discipline, the Congress President Nijalingappa and the Syndicate removed two Indira loyalists from Congress Working Committee (CWC). In retaliation, Indira Gandhi group without approval of CWC requisitioned a meeting of All India Congress Committee (AICC). The AICC meeting of supporters of Indira Gandhi removed Nagalingappa from the post of Congress President. 

This divided Congress into two groups:

a. Congress(R) for “Requisitionist” supporting Indira Gandhi. 

b. Congress(O) for “Organisation” led by old syndicates.