[3] The call for restoration of democracy by revoking the Emergency is considered to be a major reason for the sweeping victory for the opposition Janata Alliance,[4] whose leader Morarji Desai was sworn in as the fourth Prime Minister of India on 24 March.

The sixth general elections, which were conducted for 542 seats in single-member constituencies, represented 27 Indian states and union territories.

Civil liberties were suspended during the national emergency from 25 June 1975 to 21 March 1977 and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi assumed vast powers.

The Janata Alliance reminded voters of the excesses and human rights violations during the Emergency, like compulsory sterilisation and imprisonment of political leaders.

The structural factors allowed voters to express their grievances, notably their resentment of the emergency and its authoritarian and repressive policies.