[Letter to Mr Minoo Masani]

Summary

This three-page Swatantra Party office memo, dated April 5, 1968, reports to Mr. E.R. Masani on Gujarati newspaper coverage of resignations from the party’s National Executive and Central Parliamentary Board. The memo states that the press statement about the resignations was objectively reported and reviews editorials that interpreted the resignations as a response to a breakdown of party assurances and confidence in its leadership.

The memo summarizes statements attributed to Bhailalbhai Patel, Jaideepsinhji, H. M. Patel, Pravinsinhji Solanki, and Piloo Mody. The reported dispute centered on the party’s failure, in the writers’ view, to honour a promise concerning Mr. Babubhai Vaidya’s candidacy, the resulting defeat of the official candidate in the Rajya Sabha election, and the question of whether the resignations represented a principled protest or a political stunt. H. M. Patel is reported as arguing that disciplinary action might be necessary, while also emphasizing that the party should act in a way that restored public trust.

Key points

• The memo reports that Gujarati newspapers objectively covered resignations from the Swatantra Party’s National Executive and Central Parliamentary Board.
• The Jamnabhoomi editorial praised the resigning leaders for acting as leaders of a responsible political party.
• The central dispute concerned an unfulfilled promise to Mr. Babubhai Vaidya, reportedly made with the support of members of the party’s legislative assembly and confirmed by the Central Party.
• Bhailalbhai Patel and Jaideepsinhji are reported as saying that the election results demonstrated a lack of confidence in party leadership.
• H. M. Patel is reported as defending the party’s earlier promise while calling for consideration of action against those who had broken party discipline.
• Pravinsinhji Solanki said he would also have resigned if he had been the party leader.
• Piloo Mody described the matter as complicated and said he believed Mr. Mahida had majority support.