Gandhi who shaped and pioneered a unified India in the twentieth century, wanted congress dissolved after independence.

But it eventually remained, with Nehru as it's leader. As an architect of India he foccused on making India.

1. A secular state ( an oposition to pak )

2. A truly democratic state.

Although many infant democracies became autocratic, Nehru made sure India doesn't. He also kept Congress democratic, with Kamraj having the power to choose the next leader.

However, in 1955 after death of Sardar Patel, he moved far away from the mixed economic model, pushing India towards socialism.

Shastri who lead India after Nehru, carried the same principles of the freedom struggle. But after his suspicious death. Indira, grabbed power.

Indira approach to congress was different from Shastri or Nehru. She at first undermined congress democray by splitting it up. And then the national democrary by emergency rules.

It was Sanjay Gandhi who de-facto ruled the country, with regressive nationalisation. This was more of autocracy than a socialist policy.

After the death of Sanjay and then Indira, Rajiv was a confused leader. It was under him that the secularism began to thin away.