Editing Indian National Congress (section)

=== P. V. Narasimha Rao era (1991–1998) ===              
His rise to the prime ministership was politically significant because he was the first person from South India to hold the office, marking a shift from the traditionally northern-dominated leadership in Indian politics. After the election, he formed a minority government. Rao himself did not contest elections in 1991, but after he was sworn in as prime minister, he won in a by-election from [[Nandyal (Lok Sabha constituency)|Nandyal]] in Andhra Pradesh.<ref name="Rao AP Won">{{cite news |last1=Lakshman |first1=Ganesh |title=Nandyal bypoll: It was P V Narasimha Rao's backyard when he .. |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/amaravati/it-was-p-v-narasimha-raos-backyard-when-he-was-the-pm/articleshow/60168304.cms |access-date=10 March 2022 |work=[[The Times of India]]|date=22 August 2017}}</ref> His administration oversaw major [[Economic liberalisation in India|economic change]] and experienced several domestic incidents that affected India's national security.<ref name="Reforming">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4120429.stm "Narasimha Rao – a Reforming PM"]. [[BBC News]] (23 December 2004). Retrieved 2 March 2007.</ref> Rao, who held the [[Ministry of Commerce and Industry (India)|Industries portfolio]], was personally responsible for the dismantling of the [[Licence Raj]], which came under the purview of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.<ref name="DNAArticle">Arvind Kumar, Arun Narendhranath (3 October 2001). [http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column_india-must-embrace-unfettered-free-enterprise_1594401 "India must embrace unfettered free enterprise"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130312095826/http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column_india-must-embrace-unfettered-free-enterprise_1594401 |date=12 March 2013 }}. ''[[Daily News and Analysis]]''.</ref> Rao accelerated the dismantling of the Licence Raj, reversing the socialist policies of previous governments.<ref name=reinvention>{{cite web|title=PV Narasimha Rao reinvented India|url=http://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/pv-narasimha-rao-reinvented-india-so-why-is-he-the-forgotten-man|website=[[The National (Abu Dhabi)|The National]]|date=19 May 2012 |location=Abu Dhabi|access-date=23 June 2014}}</ref><ref name="policies by rao">{{cite web|title=Foreign Policies of India's Prime Ministers|url=http://www.transnational-perspectives.org/transnational/articles/article495.pdf|website=Transnational Organization|access-date=23 June 2014|archive-date=14 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714230255/http://www.transnational-perspectives.org/transnational/articles/article495.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> He employed Manmohan Singh as his finance minister to begin historic economic changes. With Rao's mandate, Singh launched reforms for India's [[globalisation]] that involved implementing [[International Monetary Fund]] (IMF) policies to prevent India's impending [[1991 India economic crisis|economic collapse]].<ref name="DNAArticle" /> Future prime ministers [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]] and Manmohan Singh continued the economic reform policies begun by Rao's government. He is often called the "Father of Indian economic reforms".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071106123253/http://www.voanews.com/tibetan/archive/2004-12/a-2004-12-23-2-1.cfm "PV Narasimha Rao Remembered as Father of Indian Economic Reforms"]. ''[[VOA News]]'' (23 December 2004). </ref><ref name="Narasimha Rao was father of economic reform: Pranab">{{cite news|title=Narasimha Rao led India at crucial juncture, was father of economic reform: Pranab|access-date=25 January 2013|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Narasimha-Rao-led-India-at-crucial-juncture-was-father-of-economic-reform-Pranab/articleshow/17831434.cms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130520071110/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-31/india/36078990_1_economic-reforms-president-pranab-mukherjee-finance-minister|url-status=live|archive-date=20 May 2013|work=[[The Times of India]]|date= 31 December 2012}}</ref> Rao was also referred to as ''[[Chanakya]]'' for his ability to push tough economic and political legislation through the parliament while heading a minority government.<ref name="frontline">{{cite journal |url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=20050114008013000.htm&date=fl2201/&prd=fline& |title=Obituary: A scholar and a politician|author=V. Venkatesan |journal=Frontline |volume=22 |issue=1 |date=1–14 January 2005 |access-date=30 March 2010}}{{dead link|date=March 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>[http://www.tlca.com/adults/obit-pvn.html "PV Narasimha Rao Passes Away"]. Retrieved 7 October 2007.  {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071101063203/http://www.tlca.com/adults/obit-pvn.html |date=1 November 2007 }}</ref>

By 1996, party found itself in a complex political landscape. It faced internal challenges, including factionalism and leadership struggles, allegations of corruption, and a degree of anti-incumbency sentiment. The [[1996 general elections]] witnessed the emergence of a fractured mandate, leading to the absence of a clear majority for any single party. Congress was reduced to 140 seats in elections that year, its lowest number in the Lok Sabha yet. Rao later resigned as prime minister and, in September, as party president.<ref name=resign>{{cite web|author=ABP News|title=Atal Bihari Vajpayee's 13-day govt.|date=December 2013 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ4F8KNB3ao |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/eQ4F8KNB3ao| archive-date=11 December 2021 |url-status=live|via=YouTube|access-date=24 June 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref> He was succeeded as president by [[Sitaram Kesri]], the party's first non-[[Brahmin]] leader.<ref name=Kesari>{{cite news|title=The Sitaram Kesri case|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-the-sitaram-kesri-case-how-dynasty-trumped-ethics-1564149|access-date=23 June 2014|work=[[Daily News and Analysis]]|date=10 July 2011}}</ref> During the tenure of both Rao and Kesri, the two leaders conducted internal elections to the Congress working committees and their own posts as party presidents.<ref name="MitraEnskat2004">{{cite book|author1=Subrata Kumar Mitra|author2=Mike Enskat|author3=Clemens Spiess|title=Political Parties in South Asia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dObxI9xahSYC&pg=PR7|year=2004|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-275-96832-8|pages=42–43}}</ref>