Raj Narain challenged Indira Gandhi's 1971 win. The High Court voided it in 1975; the Supreme Court reversed that and struck down Article 329A(4).
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi won Rae Bareli by more than one lakh votes. Socialist rival Raj Narain refused to accept the result.
Indira Gandhi defeated Raj Narain by more than one lakh votes on 10 March 1971 — the result Narain refused to accept.
Narain alleged her campaign unlawfully used government officials, including Yashpal Kapur, a former PM's Secretariat officer turned election agent.
Justice Jagmohanlal Sinha upheld two grounds of improper official help, voided her election and disqualified her for six years.
Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer stayed the ruling. Gandhi stayed Prime Minister but could not vote in the Lok Sabha or draw an MP's salary.
Allahabad High Court voided the election on 12 June. The Supreme Court stayed it on 24 June, then ruled finally on 7 November 1975.
President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed proclaimed an Emergency under Article 352. The case was its political backdrop; no court ordered it.
Article 329A tried to put the Prime Minister's election beyond judicial review and validate Gandhi's election regardless of court findings.
Five judges set aside the High Court's findings, upholding the 1975 election-law changes, and struck down Article 329A(4) on basic-structure grounds.
The 39th Amendment tried to shield the Prime Minister's election from courts. The Supreme Court struck down that one clause on 7 November 1975.
Raj Narain sought a review. The Court found no ground to reconsider, and the November ruling became final.
The Emergency ended on 21 March 1977. In the election that followed, Congress lost and the Janata Party formed the government.
Declared 25 June 1975, lifted 21 March 1977. The election that followed removed the government that declared it.
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