General Secretary's Letter No. 248

Summary

Dated November 16, 1970, this General Secretary’s Letter from the Swatantra Party reports that efforts to build a parliamentary bloc of nationalist and democratic forces with Congress(O), Jan Sangh, and the BKD have stalled. The letter attributes the failure to contradictions within Congress(O), notes that a proposed national-level electoral pact had been abandoned, and warns that an early dissolution of Parliament could require the party to contest the ensuing Lok Sabha election independently.

R. C. Cooper therefore urges party bodies to accelerate candidate selection and constituency planning. He asks Parliamentary Boards to submit recommendations by December 5, 1970, prioritising constituencies won by the party in 1967 while also reviewing other seats where its past performance was credible. The attached November 8 resolution reiterates the party’s opposition to improvised political combinations but supports cooperation among nationalist and democratic groups on the basis of the June 28 AICC resolution as a provisional programme of agreed action.

Key points

• The proposed alliance among Congress(O), Jan Sangh, the BKD, and other nationalist and democratic forces had not materialised.
• The letter says Congress(O) had failed to implement a June 28 AICC resolution because of internal contradictions and cleavages.
• A proposed national-level electoral pact had been effectively abandoned, raising the possibility that Swatantra would contest elections alone.
• The party anticipated a possible early dissolution of Parliament and an ensuing Lok Sabha election.
• Candidate and constituency preparation was declared urgent, with recommendations requested by December 5, 1970.
• The party prioritised constituencies it had carried in 1967 but also invited proposals for additional seats where its previous performance was credible.
• The attached resolution opposed heterogeneous and opportunistic combinations while endorsing provisional cooperation among nationalist and democratic groups.