[Letter to Mr Minoo Masani]

Summary

This untitled handwritten letter, dated 23 March 1971 and sent from near Sardhar, Rajkot, is addressed to M. R. Masani. On the English opening page, the writer reports alleged irregularities in the election campaign and voting process. The letter attributes the defeat of the M.R.M. candidate to the large-scale distribution of money among Muslim and Harijan voters, poor supervision by the party office, Congress workers’ activity on the opposing side, dormant Swatantra Party organisation, intimidation by polling booths, and failures in voter identification.

The remaining pages are predominantly in Gujarati and continue the correspondence in a detailed, partly enumerated form. They appear to discuss organisational and electoral concerns, including the conduct of party workers, arrangements at polling stations, and the need for more effective political activity. Because the Gujarati handwriting is difficult to read in places, the summary is confined to the clearly legible arguments and observations visible in the three rendered pages.

Key points

• The letter is dated 23 March 1971 and was written from near Sardhar, Rajkot, to M. R. Masani.
• The writer says the M.R.M. candidate lost because money was distributed on a large scale among Muslim and Harijan voters.
• The writer criticises the party office for being controlled by people who supplied incorrect information.
• The letter reports that Congress workers were active on one side while the Swatantra Party organisation remained dormant on the other.
• The writer alleges that polling-booth workers were intimidated and that voter-identification slips did not reach voters.
• The Gujarati pages continue the discussion through numbered points concerning election organisation and party work.