NOTE ON PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION FOR CENTRAL PARLIAMENTARY BOARD AND NATIONAL EXECUTIVE

Summary

This two-page Swatantra Party note by M. R. Masani reports on parliamentary and state-level voting in the 1969 presidential election, focusing on support for the party-backed candidate, Dr. C. D. Deshmukh. Masani records that 101 Members of Parliament gave Deshmukh their first-preference votes: 55 from Swatantra, 42 from Jan Sangh, and approximately 20 from the B.K.D. He argues that defections and the distribution of second-preference votes weakened the combined opposition effort.

The note gives state-by-state figures for Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Orissa, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu. Gujarat is singled out as particularly disappointing because members who supported Deshmukh on first preference frequently transferred or withheld their second preferences. Masani concludes that party discipline was weak wherever the opposition had sizeable groups, and that the resulting cross-voting helped V. V. Giri secure a large majority over N. Sanjiva Reddy. The document is dated New Delhi, 27 August 1969.

Key points

• The note assesses voting by Swatantra Party and allied legislators in the 1969 presidential election.
• It reports 101 parliamentary first-preference votes for C. D. Deshmukh, including 55 from Swatantra and 42 from Jan Sangh.
• State-level evidence from Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Orissa, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu is used to document defections and weak coordination.
• Gujarat is presented as the worst record among the Swatantra legislative groups, with substantial loss or withholding of second-preference votes.
• Masani attributes the defeat to cross-voting among Deshmukh supporters, alongside responsibility borne by the other two supporting parties.
• The note treats party discipline and coordinated preference voting as decisive factors in the election result.