Letter to Jayaprakash

Summary

This untitled two-page letter from Swatantra Party office-bearers to Jayaprakash Narayan assesses the Janata Front’s performance in Gujarat. The signatories call the result creditable but disappointing because the Front failed to secure an absolute majority, attributing the shortfall to doubts among part of the electorate about its ability to form a homogeneous ministry. They argue that the Gujarat vote has partly dispelled fears about the irrelevance of the electoral process and demonstrates public support for an effective opposition capable of providing clean and honest administration.

Key points

• The Janata Front’s Gujarat performance is described as creditable but insufficient because it did not win an absolute majority.
• The letter attributes the result to doubts about the Front’s ability to form a homogeneous government.
• The Gujarat vote is presented as evidence that electoral politics can express popular aspirations.
• The signatories invoke Mahatma Gandhi’s active campaigning to argue that opposition movements can mobilise voters.
• The Allahabad High Court judgment and its possible confirmation by the Supreme Court are presented as significant for Indian democracy.
• The letter warns that political instability could produce an attempt to seize power in Bengal involving the CPI and a pliant President.
• The signatories urge Jayaprakash Narayan to lead a consolidated opposition, offering to disband or subordinate their own party or federation if he publicly accepts leadership.