[Letter to IS Bhargava]

Summary

In this letter dated September 17, 1974, S. V. Raju tells I. S. Bhargava that Minoo Masani has asked whether the Swatantra Party should remain active in Rajasthan or join an existing party. Raju explains that supporters in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have decided to keep the party alive, and says that Rajasthan members should meet and make the same decision for their state.

Key points

• The letter concerns the future of the Swatantra Party in Rajasthan after its declining political fortunes.
• Raju reports that supporters in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have chosen to keep the party active.
• He encourages Rajasthan members to meet and decide whether to continue the party there.
• Raju anticipates an eventual attempt to reform the party at the national level.
• He argues that Rajasthan could develop a genuine Swatantra Party of landowners and farmers.
• Minoo Masani will remain a Swatantra Party member in Maharashtra but will not take an active organisational role because of his involvement with Jayaprakash Narayan’s Citizens for Democracy.