Did fear and fealty aid election of India's first woman prime minister?

Rajesh Sharma & Arun GeorgeTNN

Jan 17, 2026 | 22:00 IST

When Lal Bahadur Shastri passed away, Indira Gandhi – supported by the party president, 11 CMs and a majority of party MPs – was the overwhelming favourite to replace him. But then, Morarji Desai stepped in and forced a contest

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