Vice-Presidential Polls: When Indira Gandhi Cross-Voted Against Congress In 1969

Last Updated:September 09, 2025, 13:44 IST

The Vice Presidential election echoes the 1969 cross voting drama led by Indira Gandhi, which split Congress and cemented her leadership after V V Giri’s victory

At that time, Indira Gandhi was determined to prove her authority within Congress. (File image/News18 Hindi)

The on-going Vice Presidential election on September 9 has triggered a storm of speculation about cross voting. With whip rules not applicable, both the NDA and the INDIA bloc are claiming their candidates may benefit from defections in rival camps. Political observers note that such elections have historically seen dramatic instances of cross voting, the most famous example being orchestrated by none other than former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1969, which eventually led to a split in the Congress party.

The parallel dates back to May 3, 1969, when President Dr Zakir Hussain died of a heart attack, leaving the Rashtrapati Bhavan vacant. The Election Commission announced polling for August 16 the same year. It was to become one of the most hotly contested presidential elections in history.

The Congress officially nominated former Lok Sabha Speaker Neelam Sanjiva Reddy. But Indira Gandhi, already at odds with the party’s old guard known as the “Syndicate", had other plans. Defying party tradition, she decided to back an independent candidate, veteran trade union leader V V Giri. Swatantra Party and Jana Sangh, meanwhile, put forward their own joint nominee, former finance minister C D Deshmukh.

At that time, Indira Gandhi was determined to prove her authority within Congress. Having recently nationalised 14 major banks despite opposition from Finance Minister Morarji Desai, and even removing him from office, she was consolidating her image as a strong, independent leader. Supporting V V Giri against her party’s choice was a high-stakes gamble intended to send the message that she, not the Syndicate, defined the future of the Congress.

In the weeks before the vote, Gandhi quietly signalled her loyalists to back Giri. When pressure mounted from party president S Nijalingappa to openly endorse Reddy, she refused. Just days before polling, she made her move. Without naming names, Indira Gandhi urged MPs and MLAs to “vote according to the voice of your conscience". It was an unmistakable call to defy the official party line.

The gamble worked. Though senior Congress leaders stood firmly behind Reddy, a significant bloc of party lawmakers switched sides. The result was razor-thin. V V Giri won with 4,20,077 vote value against Reddy’s 4,05,427. Deshmukh trailed with 1,12,769. A host of smaller independents, including Chandradutt Senani and Gurcharan Kaur, finished far behind.

The fallout was immediate. Accusations flew between the Prime Minister and the Congress president. By November 12, Indira Gandhi was expelled from the party for “indiscipline". But by then, she had already secured the support of the majority of Congress MPs.

In December 1969, Congress formally split into two factions: Congress (O), the Organization group led by Nijalingappa, and Congress (R), or Requisitionists, loyal to Indira Gandhi. Out of 705 members of the All India Congress Committee, 446 sided with her. In Parliament, 310 of 429 Congress MPs rallied behind her, including 220 from the Lok Sabha. With support from Left parties and independents, she commanded a clear majority.

The episode remains one of the most dramatic demonstrations of political cross voting in the country’s history. It reshaped the Congress, elevated Indira Gandhi’s stature, and set the stage for her dominance in the decade that followed.

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