NOTE OF DISCUSSION WITH CH. CHARAN SINGH

Summary

This confidential two-page memorandum records a discussion held at Prof. Ranga’s residence in New Delhi on 15 June 1968 between Charan Singh, representatives of the Swatantra Party, and members of the Bharatiya Kranti Dal (BKD). The discussion concerned a proposal, conveyed through Bhanu Pratap Singh, to merge the BKD, Swatantra Party, PSP, and other like-minded democratic groups into a new national democratic party. The proposed party would exclude left parties, including the BSP, as well as the Jana Sangh and other Communist parties. The memorandum notes that the proposed alignment could become an effective electoral challenger to Congress in upcoming mid-term and 1972 elections.

N. Dandekar and Prof. Ranga express reservations about a full merger, arguing that the Swatantra Party already possesses an established organisation, election symbol, and public identity. Three alternatives are considered: merging the BKD into Swatantra; working together electorally through a pre-election alliance; or forming a new party. The discussion highlights the difficulty of reconciling the parties’ public images and ideological positions, especially the BKD and PSP’s commitment to “Socialism” and the Swatantra Party’s association with princes, landlords, and capitalists. The participants agree to consider the alternatives further and to exchange a pre-election common programme, while also recalling the Jana Congress’s earlier agreement to cooperate after the 1967 election.

Key points

• The memorandum records a 15 June 1968 discussion on cooperation among the BKD, Swatantra Party, PSP, and other democratic parties.
• The proposed new national democratic party would exclude left parties, the BSP, Jana Sangh, and Communist parties.
• The participants viewed opposition coordination as a possible effective electoral challenger to Congress.
• Dandekar and Prof. Ranga resisted an immediate merger because Swatantra already had an established organisation, election symbol, and public identity.
• A proposed merger faced difficulties over Swatantra’s image as a party of princes, landlords, and capitalists.
• The memorandum identifies ideological tensions surrounding the meaning of “Socialism” and “Gandhian Socialism.”
• The preferred interim alternative was close electoral cooperation, including a pre-election alliance and possible financial assistance to the BKD.
• The meeting ended with agreement to study all three alternatives and exchange a common programme.