Gujarat Cong. (O) list on Saturday

Summary

This Times of India news-service clipping, dated 5 January 1971, reports that the Gujarat unit of the Congress (Organisation) would finalise its Lok Sabha candidates on Saturday. The report links the decision to the Swatantra Party’s entry into an electoral alliance and lists constituencies where the Congress (O) and Swatantra would contest. It also records uncertainty over whether the Pradesh Congress Committee’s proposed candidates would be accepted by the party’s Central Parliamentary Board, and notes that the Jana Sangh might receive one or two seats in the alliance.

Key points

• The Gujarat Congress (O) executive committee was expected to finalise its Lok Sabha candidate list on Saturday.
• The party was coordinating its candidates with the Swatantra Party after the latter joined the alliance.
• The report identifies contest arrangements involving Congress (O), Swatantra, and possibly the Jana Sangh.
• The Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee had prepared names, but the Central Parliamentary Board still had to approve them.
• A separate report says Morarji Desai remained hopeful that the Swatantra Party would join the electoral front.
• Desai opposed a proposed federation of India and Pakistan and said he was ready for any contingency regarding the alliance.