Socialist party

♤ The foundation of the socialist party was laid before independence when some leaders within the Congress party sought more radical and egalitarian Congress. So, they formed the Congress Socialist Party (CSP) in 1934.

♤ Jayprakash Narayan, Rammanohar Lohiya, Achyut patwardhan, Ashok Mehta, Acharya Narendra Dev, S.M. Joshi were stalwart leaders of the socialist party in its various incarnations.

♤ Relation with the Congress was a key issue that the party faced after independence. Since the Congress party changed the rule regarding duel membership and barred the CSP members from Congress’s membership, the CSP leaders were compelled to form separate Socialist Party in 1948. Subsequently, after a merger with the KMPP, the party became Praia Socialist Party in 1952.

♤ The socialists believed in the ideology of democratic socialism which distinguished them both from the Congress and the communists.

♤ Socialist party leaders criticized Congress for favouring capitalists and landlord and ignoring teaming masses like workers, peasants.

♤ Socialist party was in big dilemma when the Congress party in 1955 declared its commitment to the socialist pattern of society. In such scenario, their leader Asoka Mehta offered limited cooperation with the Congress. However, leaders such as Ram Manohar Lohia took a staunch anti-Congress line.

♤ In the contemporary times, the Samajwadi party, the Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD), Janta Dal (United), Janta Dal (Secular) trace their origins to the Socialist Party