Who among the following leaders was not a leader of the socialist parties in India?

Correct option is D

E. M. S. Namboodiripad was not a leader of the socialist parties in India. He was a key figure in the communist movement, particularly associated with the Communist Party of India (CPI), and later with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) – CPI(M) after the 1964 split. The other three—Achyut Patwardhan, Asoka Mehta, and Acharya Narendra Dev—were prominent leaders in the socialist movement, especially linked to the Congress Socialist Party (CSP) and its evolution into the Socialist Party of India.
Namboodiripad was the first Chief Minister of Kerala and a committed Marxist, influenced by Leninist principles, differing ideologically and organizationally from the socialist bloc that emerged from the Indian National Congress. Hence, he does not belong to the tradition of democratic socialism that leaders like Acharya Narendra Dev, Patwardhan, and Mehta espoused.
Information Booster:
· E. M. S. Namboodiripad led India’s first democratically elected Communist government in 1957.
· He was instrumental in land reforms and promoted class struggle based on Marxist theory.
· Achyut Patwardhan, Acharya Narendra Dev, and Asoka Mehta were all associated with the Congress Socialist Party (1934).
· The Socialist Party formally broke away from the Indian National Congress in 1948.
· Acharya Narendra Dev was the ideological father of Indian socialism.
· The socialist leaders supported non-violent democratic socialism, unlike the communist reliance on class-based revolution.
Additional Knowledge:
· Achyut Patwardhan: A founding member of the Congress Socialist Party, Patwardhan was also associated with the Quit India Movement and later became a leading figure in the Socialist Party. He strongly supported Gandhian socialism and worked for social justice and economic equity.
· Asoka Mehta: Another prominent socialist leader, Mehta was active in the Praja Socialist Party and had been associated with the Bombay Municipal Corporation. He was a strong proponent of planning and development and served as a Union Minister.
· Acharya Narendra Dev: Considered the intellectual pillar of Indian socialism, he was a key founder of the Congress Socialist Party. He promoted democratic socialism with emphasis on civil liberties, decentralisation, and Gandhian values.
· E. M. S. Namboodiripad: A Marxist-Leninist leader, he was the founding member of the CPI(M). He led Kerala as its Chief Minister and was responsible for implementing landmark land and educational reforms. His focus was on class struggle, differing fundamentally from the socialist approach that included democratic institutions and mixed economy.