Defeat of the Party's candidate in the Biennial Election to Rajya Sabha (March 1968) in Gujarat.

Summary

This Swatantra Party Central Office note examines the party’s defeat in the March 1968 biennial Rajya Sabha election in Gujarat. It reconstructs the Central Parliamentary Board’s earlier decision to nominate Dr. Biharilal Anantani in 1966, the understanding reached with Babubhai Vaidya’s Independent Progressive Group, and the subsequent commitment to make Vaidya the party’s first-preference candidate in 1968. The note argues that the party’s obligation to honour that commitment was reinforced by Vaidya’s earlier electoral support and by the need to preserve the party’s credibility among opposition groups.

The report then describes the dispute over competing candidacies by Babubhai Vaidya, U.N. Mahida, and Prof. B.R. Shenoy. Although the Central Parliamentary Board reaffirmed Vaidya as the sole party candidate, Mahida continued his campaign after being asked to withdraw, while Shenoy eventually withdrew. Mahida won with 47 votes against Vaidya’s 27. The post-mortem records the party’s consideration of disciplinary charges against Mahida and possible action against his sponsors and polling agent. The enclosed letter by N. Dandekar reiterates that long-term political arrangements and the party’s reputation justified honouring the earlier commitment to Vaidya.

Key points

• The Central Parliamentary Board nominated Dr. Biharilal Anantani for Gujarat’s 1966 Rajya Sabha election despite the state board’s recommendation of C.C. Desai.
• Because the party lacked enough Assembly strength to win unaided, Gujarat leaders negotiated second-preference support from Babubhai Vaidya’s Independent Progressive Group.
• The arrangement included a commitment that Vaidya would become the party’s first-preference Rajya Sabha candidate in 1968.
• The Central Parliamentary Board reaffirmed Vaidya as the sole candidate in January 1968 and rejected the simultaneous candidacies of U.N. Mahida and B.R. Shenoy.
• Mahida and Shenoy nevertheless filed nominations; Shenoy withdrew, but Mahida continued with support from several party legislators.
• Mahida defeated Vaidya, receiving 47 votes to Vaidya’s 27.
• The post-mortem considers disciplinary charges against Mahida, his sponsors, his election agent, and a legislator alleged to have voted for him.