MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE CENTRAL PARLIAMENTARY BOARD OF THE SWATANTRA PARTY HELD AT THE RESIDENCE OF MR. M. R. MASANI, 2 TUGHLAK ROAD, NEW DELHI ON SATURDAY, 22ND AUGUST 1970 AT 9 A.M.

Summary

These minutes record the Central Parliamentary Board of the Swatantra Party meeting at M. R. Masani’s New Delhi residence on 22 August 1970. The Board first passed a condolence resolution for Sardar Basant Singh, describing his assassination as an avoidable tragedy and calling for action against Naxalites and other “anti-social elements.” It also confirmed the minutes of the Board’s 20 July meeting in Madras.

The substantive agenda concerns electoral strategy and party organisation. The Board discussed the forthcoming Kerala general election, disagreement within the Orissa coalition government, shifting legislative alignments in Gujarat, and the Swatantra Party’s position in the Gurdaspur by-election. It declined to endorse a Gurdaspur candidate immediately, preferring discussions with the Jan Sangh and Organisation Congress, and approved a letter to Mysore legislators concerning participation in the S.V.D. The Board later authorised four Kerala nominations, negotiations with other parties, and guidance to the Kerala unit. It also considered a proposed Private Members Bill on appointing the Chief Justice of India, supporting a rule that the senior-most eligible Supreme Court judge should ordinarily be elevated while allowing members freedom to abstain from voting.

Key points

• The Board adopted a condolence resolution for the assassinated Swatantra Party leader Sardar Basant Singh and called for his assassins to be brought to justice.
• The minutes of the Board’s 20 July 1970 Madras meeting were confirmed.
• The Board postponed discussion of Kerala’s general election until representatives of the Kerala unit could attend, then authorised four nominations and negotiations with other parties.
• On Orissa, the Board recorded disagreement between the Jana Congress and the Swatantra Party unit over whether the state government should be dissolved and mid-term elections held.
• In Gujarat, the return of one defecting legislator left the Swatantra Party and the defectors with equal strength at 25 each.
• The Board declined to endorse a Gurdaspur by-election candidate immediately and proposed discussions among the Swatantra Party, Jan Sangh, and Organisation Congress.
• The Board approved, subject to corrections, a letter to Mysore MLAs about participation in the S.V.D. and had no information on which to discuss Rajasthan municipal and panchayat elections.
• The Board supported a Private Members Bill amendment concerning appointment of the Chief Justice of India and declined to impose a party whip on the vote.