Who gave the strategy of ‘Non-Congressism’?

The correct answer is Ram Manohar Lohia.

Non-Congressism was a political strategy formulated by the prominent socialist leader Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia in the mid-1960s. The core objective of this strategy was to bring together all opposition political parties—regardless of their ideological differences—onto a single platform to defeat the ruling Indian National Congress party.

Lohia argued that the Congress party's continuous rule was detrimental to Indian democracy and that division among opposition votes allowed the Congress to win elections despite not securing a majority of the popular vote. By advocating for electoral alliances and seat-sharing arrangements among non-Congress parties, this strategy successfully led to the formation of the first coalition governments (known as Samyukta Vidhayak Dal or SVD governments) in several Indian states following the 1967 general elections, significantly altering the political landscape of India.