1997 In India

EVENTS

January

February

February 7 - An alliance of Sikh and Hindu nationalist parties wins a resounding victory over the Congress in state assembly elections in Punjab .

February 28 - The government is strengthened by a daring, market friendly budget.

March

March 19 - The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), a powerful low-caste party, deserts its alliance with Congress in Uttar Pradesh to form a government with the BJP .

March 30 - Congress withdraws support from the United Front, accusing Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda of poor leadership.

April

April 21 - Inder Kumar Gujral , a new leader acceptable to Congress, is sworn in as prime minister.

May

June

July

July 3 - Laloo Prasad Yadav is ousted as president of the Janata Dal party. On July 5 he announces the formation of a new party called Rashtriya Janata Dal .

July 25 - Laloo Prasad Yadav resigns as chief minister of Bihar after a warrant for his arrest, on charges relating to an animal fodder scandal, had been issued. He names his wife, Rabri Devi , as his successor and the first woman chief minister of Bihar.

August

September

September 9 - 49 senior Hindu politicians and religious figures are charged with conspiracy and incitement to riot for their alleged role in the sacking of the Babri Mosque at Ayodhya in 1992.

October

October 21 - Violence erupts in the Uttar Pradesh state assembly during a vote of confidence on the Hindu nationalist state government. Deputies trade blows on the floor of the assembly in the state capital of Lucknow and hurl chairs and microphones at each other. A dozen lawmakers are injured and several journalists are also hurt. The BJP's one-month-old government headed by chief minister Kalyan Singh lost key support in a hung assembly on October 19 when the Bahujan Samaj Party withdrew its support, plunging India's most populous state into a political crisis. The government wins the confidence vote after opposition members walk out in protest against the violence in the hall. Federal rule over the state is imposed the same day, but later canceled.

November

November 20 - Congress threatens to withdraw support for the United Front if it does not drop the regional Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party from the government after the DMK was linked by an investigative panel to Sri Lankan separatists blamed for the killing of Rajiv Gandhi .

November 28 - Prime Minister Gujral resigns after the Congress party withdrew support from his government.

December

December 29 - Sonia Gandhi , Italian-born widow of Rajiv Gandhi, announces her decision to join the Congress election campaign.

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