NOTE OF DISCUSSION WITH CH. CHARAN SINGH.

Summary

This confidential two-page record documents a 15 June 1968 discussion at Prof. Ranga’s New Delhi residence about a proposal from Chaudhary Charan Singh for the Swatantra Party, the Bharatiya Kranti Dal (BKD), the Praja Socialist Party (PSP), and other democratic parties to merge into a new national democratic party. The proposed formation would exclude parties of the Left, including the Socialist Party, as well as the Jana Sangh and other communal parties. The record presents the merger as a possible means of creating an effective democratic opposition to the Congress in forthcoming state and general elections.

Prof. Ranga and N. Dandekar express reservations, arguing that the established Swatantra Party could lose its organisational advantages, including its election symbol and flag, and that merging with parties committed to “socialism” might obscure its own position. They instead suggest that the BKD merge into the Swatantra Party, or that the two parties cooperate through a pre-election alliance. Charan Singh’s principal objection is not to Swatantra’s principles or manifesto but to its public image as a party of rajas, maharajas, landlords, and capitalists, with little place for the “little man.” The meeting ends with agreement to consider all alternatives while recording that a merger requiring acceptance of “Socialism” as a basic philosophy would be unlikely to gain acceptance. N. Dandekar’s note also refers to prior cooperation between the BKD and Jana Congress in Orissa.

Key points

• Charan Singh proposed merging the Swatantra Party, BKD, PSP, and similar democratic parties into a new national democratic party.
• The proposed party would exclude the Left, the Jana Sangh, and other communal parties.
• Supporters of the proposal expected a united opposition to challenge Congress in impending state elections and the 1972 general election.
• Ranga and Dandekar preferred a BKD merger into Swatantra or a close electoral alliance rather than creating a new party.
• They defended Swatantra’s established organisation, election symbol, flag, and anti-socialist identity.
• Charan Singh objected chiefly to Swatantra’s public image as representing princes, landlords, capitalists, big business, and large-scale farming.
• The participants agreed to keep all alternatives open but rejected any merger requiring “Socialism” as the basic philosophy.