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Indira Gandhi, in full Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi, née Nehru, (born November 19, 1917, Allahabad, India — died October 31, 1984, New Delhi), Indian politician who was the first female prime minister of India, serving for three back to back terms (1966-77) and a fourth term from 1980 until she was assassinated in 1984.
On Shastri’s unexpected death in January 1966, Indira Gandhi was named leader of the Congress Party — and thus also became prime minister — in a split the difference between the party’s right and left wings. Her leadership, nonetheless, went under a continual challenge from the right-wing of the party, led by former minister of finance Morarji Desai. She won a seat in the 1967 races to the Lok Sabha (lower chamber of the Indian parliament), yet the Congress Party managed to win just a slim majority of seats, and Gandhi had to accept Desai as deputy prime minister.
In the 1971 Lok Sabha elections, the New Congress group won a sweeping electoral win over a coalition of conservative parties. Gandhi strongly supported East Pakistan (presently Bangladesh) in its secessionist conflict with Pakistan in late 1971, and India’sarmed forces achieved a swift and decisive win over Pakistan that led to the creation of Bangladesh. She became the first government leader to recognize the new country.
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