In what sense was the Congress an ideological coalition? Mention the various ideological currents present within the Congress.

The Congress Party became a social and ideological coalition for it merged different social groups along with their identity holding different beliefs: 

1. It accommodated the revolutionary, conservative, pacifist, radical, extremist and moderates and the rights and the left with all other shades of the center. 

2. Congress became a platform for numerous groups, interests and even political parties to take part in the national movement. Ideological currents present within the Congress: 

(a) In pre-independence days, many organisations and parties with their own constitutions and organisational structures were allowed to exist within the Congress. 

(b) Some of these like “Congress Socialist Party” later seperated from the Congress and became on opposition party.

Congress as an ideological coalition: Congress was a centrist party that could accommodate views of near-Right and near-Left members. Congress was built on the principles of secularism and equality and had members without any exclusionary tactics. The Congress represented views of the capitalists and peasants in the forms of industrialists and peasants respectively.

Congress as a social coalition: Congress had representation from industrialists, farmers and of workers and tried to accommodate views of each social class. Similarly, Congress did not discriminate on the basis of caste, religion, gender or ethnicity and showed unity in diversity.