Draft Minutes of the Meeting of the Central Parliamentary Board Held at the Residence of Prof. N. G. Ranga, 4 Sunheri Bagh Road, New Delhi, on August 29, 1969.

Summary

These draft minutes record the Swatantra Party’s Central Parliamentary Board meeting held at Prof. N. G. Ranga’s New Delhi residence on 29 August 1969. The Board confirmed the previous minutes, noted absences, and considered the gradual abolition of reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Twelve of fourteen Board members had approved reducing reserved seats by one-third every five years, while Rajaji advised seeking a faster reduction by half every five years. The matter was referred to the National Executive for further discussion.

The Board also settled the Party’s position in the 1969 Vice-Presidential Election, permitting parliamentary members to vote for Shiva Shanmugam Pillai and H. V. Kamath in any order of preference, with no obligation to cast second-preference votes. It reviewed competing claims and press statements concerning the Presidential Election, approved the actions of Dr. R. C. Cooper and N. Dandeker, and discussed the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Bill, including the Party’s presentation before the Select Committee. The remaining agenda covered the Party’s performance during the Monsoon Session, forthcoming Rajya Sabha retirements, the Swatantra group’s position in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, and the functions of the Central Parliamentary Board. The document ends by identifying those functions as guiding parliamentary and legislative policy, selecting Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha candidates, and approving candidates for State Legislatures.

Key points

• The Board approved the previous meeting’s minutes and recorded attendance and apologies.
• It considered a proposal to phase out reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, referring the issue to the National Executive.
• It authorized Party members to support Shiva Shanmugam Pillai and H. V. Kamath in the Vice-Presidential Election without prescribing a preference order.
• It reviewed Presidential Election voting patterns and internal disagreements over public statements concerning support for Dr. Deshmukh and Sanjiva Reddy.
• It directed that the Party’s position on the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Bill be properly presented in the Lok Sabha.
• It reaffirmed a cautious stance toward coalition-making in Uttar Pradesh, including opposition to participation in governments containing Communists.
• It defined the Central Parliamentary Board’s responsibilities over legislative guidance and candidate selection.