BKD spurns alliance

Summary

This Indian Express report, dated 5 January 1971, describes the Bharatiya Kranti Dal’s decision not to enter into an electoral alliance or other political arrangement with any party for the coming elections. The party said it would contest independently, while allowing state units to make local adjustments in consultation with national chairman Charan Singh. The report places this decision against efforts by the Old Congress, Jan Sangh and Samyukta Socialist Party to bring the Swatantra Party into a joint anti-Congress front.

The article reports that the BKD expected to fight roughly 70 of Uttar Pradesh’s 85 Lok Sabha seats and that its leaders rejected a broad seat-adjustment formula without agreement on a common programme. It also reproduces a proposed three-party formula involving the SSP, Jan Sangh and Old Congress, alongside a separate SSP appeal urging Swatantra Party chairman M. R. Masani to cooperate against Indira Gandhi. The page therefore records both the BKD’s refusal of an alliance and the continuing negotiations among opposition parties.

Key points

• The Bharatiya Kranti Dal national executive rejected any electoral alliance or political arrangement with another party.
• The BKD planned to contest independently, with state-level adjustments permitted after consultation with Charan Singh.
• The report says the BKD expected to contest about 70 of Uttar Pradesh’s 85 Lok Sabha seats.
• Madhu Limaye and other socialist leaders sought to persuade Charan Singh to join a three-party opposition front.
• The proposed opposition formula involved the SSP, Jan Sangh and Old Congress, with seat allocation based partly on previous election performance.
• A separate SSP appeal called on M. R. Masani and the Swatantra Party to cooperate against Indira Gandhi.