Draft Minutes of the meeting of the meeting of the Central Parliamentary Board of the Swatantra Party held at the residence of the Hon. Treasurer Mr. H.P. Nanda, 12 Jor Bagh, New Delhi on Saturday 7 November, 1970.

Summary

These draft minutes record the Swatantra Party Central Parliamentary Board meeting held in New Delhi on 7 November 1970, chaired by M. R. Masani. The Board reviewed the Party’s disappointing performance in the October Kerala general elections, attributing the defeats in part to conflicts between rival Christian sects in Ranni and to the Congress (O)’s contest in Irikkur. It also considered the Dakkala by-election following the assassination of Sardar Basant Singh, ultimately authorising support for the Yuvraj of Patiala as an independent candidate, subject to the Swatantra Party having no electoral symbol adopted by another party.

The minutes then document disagreements over whether the Party should join the S.V.D. ministry in Uttar Pradesh or support it from outside; the matter was referred to the National Executive. The Board welcomed the Mysore State Assembly unit’s withdrawal from the S.V.D., adopted a Gujarat resolution concerning legislators who had defected to Congress (I), and recommended disciplinary expulsion for M.P. Nuggehalli Shivappa. In preparation for Parliament’s winter session, it took positions against routine no-confidence motions, supported a special Preventive Detention Act for West Bengal while rejecting detention legislation for the whole country, opposed impeachment of the President, and preferred conventions over constitutional amendments on gubernatorial powers. The meeting also addressed candidate recommendations, Mr. Devdutt Patel’s entry into the Jan Sangh, and the cost-saving production of Swatantra in Parliament.

Key points

• The Board expressed disappointment that neither of its Kerala Assembly candidates succeeded in the October 1970 elections.
• It authorised consultation with Congress (O) and the Jana Sangh and support for the Yuvraj of Patiala in the Dakkala by-election as an independent candidate.
• The Board debated whether Swatantra legislators in Uttar Pradesh should join the S.V.D. ministry or support it from outside, referring the decision to the National Executive.
• It welcomed the Mysore unit’s withdrawal from the S.V.D. and adopted a Gujarat resolution concerning defections to Congress (I).
• It recommended expelling M.P. Nuggehalli Shivappa for alleged gross indiscipline and disloyalty to Party policy.
• It instructed the Parliamentary Party on no-confidence motions, West Bengal preventive detention, presidential impeachment, gubernatorial powers, the Payment of Bonus Bill, and the Chanda Committee Report.
• It reviewed prospective parliamentary candidates from Andhra, Mysore, Maharashtra, and Himachal Pradesh and urged state boards to submit further recommendations.
• It criticised the breakdown of an arrangement involving independent Rajya Sabha member Devdutt Patel and approved moving Swatantra in Parliament’s production from Delhi to Bombay to reduce costs.